Sometimes Wishes Come True
by Leanna R
Summary: Courtney and Jason are desperate for a baby. What if they manage to get one, although not in the most conventional way? How does having a baby affect their lives? JOURNEY. Some CARSON. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello all and welcome to my new story, _Sometimes Wishes Come True. _For those of you who have been reading my other story, _Trust_, you have gotten used to daily updates. That won't be the case with this story just yet, although I do write ahead and I have up to chapter 5 written out. Unless plans change, this will be a 21 chapter story as well, but I see a sequel in the works. For those of you who have not read my other story, please do so after finishing this one. Thank you. (I'm just kidding, but it would be great if you all did anyway).

Time period: This takes place after the fire and the Brian thing and all that. They did not get divorced, Jason forgave Courtney for knocking him out and they worked out their problems blah blah blah. Sam just isin't in the picture and all that.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, unless you don;t recognize it. Then it is mine. Steal it and I will hunt you down. In a nice way of course ; )

And so, without further ado, the prologue of my brand new baby, _Sometimes Wishes Come True_.

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* * *

Chapter One- Prologue **

Jason Morgan glanced nervously around the room, taking in the scene, looking for escape routes. He hated hospitals more than anything, and being in one made him anxious and uneasy. As his eyes continued to dart around the room, he was comforted by the motion of a small hand being slipped into his large one. Looking down at the blonde angel who sat on the examination table, he kissed her hand gently and then kissed her forehead, basking in the comfort that she was able to provide.

"I'm sorry I dragged you with me" she whispered

He pulled back to look at her in shock.

"Courtney, you didn't drag me to anything. Besides, there is no way in hell that I wouldn't be here. This affects both of us" he said, taking her other hand in his.

"I'm so nervous" she confessed. "What if Dr. Meadows doesn't have good news. What if we still can't have a baby" she asked.

"We will try this in anyway that we can" said Jason, staring into her beautiful blue orbs.

He sighed and looked down at her face. She wanted so desperately to be a mother, and he wanted so desperately to be a father. Brushing some of the hair off of her face, he thought back at all of the times he had a chance at being a father, and all of the times it was ripped from him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her bare shoulder where the hospital gown was sliding off. Finally, a creaking was heard as the door to the room opened and Jason straightened up so that he was at his full height. Walking around so that he was next to Courtney, he took her hand again.

"I have all of your results" said Dr. Meadows, a perfect poker face staring back at them.

"And…?" asked Courtney, scared to hear the answer.

"I am so sorry. But unfortunately, there was too much damage done. It would be impossible for you to carry a child and to even make one would be just as impossible" said Dr. Meadows as a lone tear ran down Courtney's face.

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"Courtney's eggs are damaged too. Even if you found someone to carry your baby, they would need to provide the eggs as well" said Dr. Meadows as more tears ran down Courtney's face.

"What are our options" said Jason, trying to remain tough despite his breaking heart inside.

"Well, there's a surrogate mother, where we take her eggs and your sperm Jason and make the baby which the surrogate carries, or there's adoption" said Dr. Meadows.

"So basically, we can either have a baby that is Jason and someone's, or a baby that just comes from random strangers" said Courtney, giving up and letting all of her tears out.

Jason sat down on the table with her and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her head into his chest, willing the terrible no-goodness of this whole day to just go away. She wanted to get away from all of the pain and suffering. Jason stroked her hair, realizing how hard this was for her.

"I'll give you two a minute" said Dr. Meadows softly as she excused herself.

Jason kissed the top of Courtney's head in a feeble attempt to comfort her. He desperately wanted to have a little baby in his arms that was a mix of both Courtney and himself. But he would never get that chance now. Being in her husband's arms provided Courtney with some comfort and she soon calmed down. When he felt her tears ease up he gently pulled her back so that he could look into her beautiful blue eyes.

"You ok?" he asked her, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"I don't know" she answered truthfully as she leaned into his touch. "That was just the worse news that we could possibly get" said Courtney.

"I know" he sighed. "But let's try to think of the options"

"Jase, I can't have a little boy or girl that I look at and see you and some other woman! I just can't do it" exclaimed Courtney.

"I know. I didn't think you could" said Jason. "And I wouldn't want that either"

"So that leaves us with what- adoption?" asked Courtney.

"I guess. Let's think about it a little more, ok?" he asked her.

She nodded and sniffled, and he wiped more of the tears away from her face, kissing the fat droplets that fell down her flawless skin.

"I just wish that by some miracle, we get our baby" said Courtney.

"Me too" said Jason.

Little did they know, sometimes wishes come true…

* * *

A/N: It was short, yes, and not much happened, true, but it's a prologue. It gets more exciting and longer after this. I would also like to reinforce the idea that this is not just your regular run of the mill pregnancy story. So don't start thinking, 'didn't I read this already?'. There is a lot more than that. So please, please review. It get's me to update faster. Although I don't expect to update until the end of my other story, which I am thinking will be sometime during this upcoming weekend. So, have a great week, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I look foward to chatting with you all in my next chapter! 


	2. Meg

A/N: Alrighty, so _Trust_ is officially finished. Now, I can focus on this one. Expect updates around once a week or so with this story in the beggining. I need to start out slowly. Plus, I have two other stories that I'm in the middle of.

emmalee05- Thanks for being my first reviewer for the story! I so totally think the surrogacy thing is wrong. The baby shouldn't be Jason's with another woman! I'm glad that you agree.

luvthemorgans- You always ramble. That's what I love about you. Lol. Your welcome 22 times (that's how many thank you's there were in that review). Now Bre, I thought you knew me by now. Don't I just love the angst? This story will be chock full of angst, although it will take a few chapters to set it up. I plan on torturing Jason a lot this story!

middiegurl08- I love to leave chapter endings like that! It keeps the readers interested. Here's some more plot in this chapter for you!

CrazyJay- I'm glad you are against having a surrogate mother for the baby too. I'm also glad that you like the story so much already. Keep reading!

tydavislover- Those are pretty good guesses, and one of them is almost right. Keep reading to find out which one, you find out in this chapter.

isabelle- Welcome to my story! I am trying very hard to stay true to the show with this one. Read and review this chapter, and then go read my other story _Trust_. You're the only reviewer I don't recognize from my other story, and I know that you'll like it if you like Journey.

sexyt- I hope that I don't dissapoint with this story. I promise you that it'll be Journey through and through, and there will be lots of Court and Jase to boot!

SuzieQ8487- Hello sweety (I'm judging by your review we're calling each other by pet names, and that's perfectly fine with me. lol). It is perfectly ok that you didn't review right away. We've all been swamped, and besides, you got your review in before I updated!

preppypunk1991- It totally made sense, and I thank you very much. Believe me, it gets interesting. Very interesting.

jordananne- Aww, thank you. That was so sweet. I'm glad you're excited, and I hope you're not too bummed out that _Trust_ was ending.

Elvira- Ello again! I hope you're a constant reviewer on this one (I know you got into _Trust_ late in the game). I'm glad you like it, and I look foward to your reviews.

WATTERS- I'm glad you like the story. Keep up the reviews!

Look at that! The whole gang is basically back! I thought I was losing you all when _Trust_ finished, but we're all reunited again. Everyone go read the story while I go cry some happy tears. I love reunions! ; )

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Chapter 2- Meg**

It had been a week since Courtney and Jason had received the terrible news, and neither had thought about it anymore, both eager to just push it to the back of their minds and not be forced to live in the horror of it. Jason had been swamped with work lately, both legal and illegal, and Courtney had been dealing with her own problems with the foundation. Yet work had cleared up for her, and she was often by herself and missing her husband. Finding herself alone yet again when she woke up one morning, she decided to shower and dress and then go to Kelly's to visit her father and get some breakfast. When Courtney walked in, the diner was experiencing a mad rush, so she took a seat by the counter and patiently waited for her father by nursing a cup of coffee. By the time her father was able to talk to her, the diner had cleared and Courtney's coffee had gotten so cold, penguins would have been comfortable living in it. Pushing the mug aside, Courtney sighed and perched her elbows on the counter, perching her head on her hands.

"How are you doing Pumpkin?" questioned Mike, looking at his sad looking daughter.

He knew the reason behind her melancholy mood, and for a moment he became angry with Jason for leaving his wife to be so depressed while working. Mike blamed Jason anyway for Courtney's inability to have children. He and Jason had been at each others throats lately, and it drove Courtney insane.

"I'm fine daddy" she answered, her eyes tilting downward.

"You sure?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sure, I just have a bit of a headache" she answered as she listened to the sounds of the restaurant around her.

There was the clinking of plates and forks, the buzz of light conversation, the sound of a baby whimpering and crying, and the sizzling of the food coming from the kitchen. It was the usual diner sounds that Courtney had become so used to. Pushing some hair off of her face, she listened intently to the crying baby, wishing so badly that she had a baby of her own. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She turned her head sharply and scanned the diner.

"What's the matter sweetie?" questioned Mike, seeing her odd action.

"Daddy, am I going crazy or is a baby crying?" she asked him rather seriously.

"No, there's a baby crying. But that's common Pumpkin" said Mike softly as he realized just how heartbroken his daughter was.

"Dad, I'm serious. Look around. I don't see a baby" said Courtney.

Mike's head shot up as he surveyed the diner, similar to what his daughter had done only moments before. Both were out of their seats and walking around in an attempt to find the baby in question in a matter of a second. Courtney walked over to the back corner of the diner and looked under the tables. Standing up, she gasped before bending back down. She emerged seconds later with a baby carrier complete with a little child and a small diaper bag.

"Daddy?" she questioned slowly, staring in disbelief at the little girl in front of her.

Placing the carrier on the table, she and Mike both stared at the baby for a second. She was beautiful, with blonde curls and stunning blue eyes. She looked right at Courtney and stopped crying, breaking into a wide, toothless grin, giving off a little gurgle. Courtney and Mike exchanged looks before focusing on the baby again.

"How long do you think she was here?" asked Mike.

"I have no idea" answered Courtney.

Before she could stop herself, Courtney reached into the carrier and unstrapped the baby, lifting the blonde cutie out of it and holding her in her arms. Balancing her on one hip, she looked over at the girl before the baby wrapped her arms around Courtney's neck, digging her face into Courtney's shoulder. Mike unzipped the baby bag, pulling out an empty bottle, a pacifier, a spare diaper, and a baby blanket, embroidered with the name Meg.

"Meg" whispered Courtney. "It fits" she said, brushing back the baby's curls.

"What kind of parent just abandons their child?" asked Mike, prompting Courtney to raise one eyebrow at him. "That was totally different. I didn't leave either you or Sonny on a diner floor. I left you with your mothers" he countered.

"Daddy, what do we do with her?" asked Courtney.

"I don't know. I guess we should take her down to the PCPD, let them handle it" said Mike.

"Alright, I guess" said Courtney, staring at the little girl who was now asleep in her arms. "I'll take her, you need to work"

"You sure?" asked Mike.

"Yeah, it's no problem" said Courtney as Mike packed up the diaper bag again. Slipping it on to her shoulder, she kissed her father goodbye and headed down to the PCPD with Meg still asleep in the crook of her arms.

* * *

By the time Courtney made it down to the PCPD, she had fallen head over heals in love wit the little baby girl in her arms. Brushing away her adoration for Meg, she purposefully strode into the police station and walked over to the cop sitting at the front desk. Today, the man was Lucky Spencer, and he sat there, just doing paperwork. Looking up, he saw Courtney with Meg in her arms. 

"Courtney! When did you get a baby?" he exclaimed. "And Jason isn't here. If you're expecting him to be, just let me know so I can start on the paperwork" said Lucky with a sigh.

"No, I'm not here about Jason. I'm actually here about this baby. I found her. She was abandoned at Kelly's" said Courtney.

"Abandoned?" asked Lucky in shock.

"She was just sitting in her carrier under one of the corner tables" said Courtney, adjusting a sleeping Meg in her arms.

"Any identification?" asked Lucky.

"Yeah, there was a bag next to her with some minimal necessities. And there was a baby blanket with the name Meg stitched in" said Courtney, handing Lucky the bag.

Looking through it, Lucky sighed and looked as the girl began to stir in Courtney's arms. Opening her eyes, Lucky saw the beautiful blue orbs looking back at him as a small fist reached out and wiped at them. The baby looked exactly like Courtney and Jason, an oddity and a coincidence on a grand scale.

"We'll put out alerts and do everything we can. We will try our hardest to find her mother" said Lucky. "For now, I'll take her" said Lucky, reaching out his arms for Meg.

But Courtney wasn't so willing to let go. Clutching the little girl to her body, she timidly looked around the station.

"What will you do with her until her mother's located" asked Courtney.

"We'll hold her here at the station until someone from child services comes. Then, they'll probably find a foster home for her" said Lucky.

"How long will it take for child services to come?" asked Courtney.

"A few hours probably"

"And then they're just going to put her with some random people?" questioned Courtney.

"That is the idea of a foster home" said Lucky.

"I can't let that happen" whispered Courtney. "Lucky, she's just an innocent baby. To have to spend a few hours in this place where criminals are brought in at alarming rates, and then to be placed in a home with people who could be abusive or terrible is simply unacceptable" said Courtney.

"What are you suggesting?" asked Lucky.

"I'll take her home with me" said Courtney.

"Wait a second, you want me to let her go live with a known mobster and hitman?" asked Lucky in disbelief.

"Jason is the perfect father. He loves children, and they love him. He will be perfect when it comes to taking care of Meg until her mother is located" said Courtney.

"I don't know" said Lucky.

"You know me. And you know that I will be a good mother" said Courtney.

"I guess" said Lucky, although he was still unsure.

"Just out of curiosity, what happens when they locate her mother and it turns out that she's a crack or heroine addict who thinks her daughter is better off living in a dumpster?" asked Courtney.

"Then we give her to social services and she is put up for adoption" said Lucky.

"Interesting" said Courtney before turning on her heel and walking away, Meg still in her arms.

"Courtney, don't make me regret this" called Lucky. "I'll pull on the right strings to make this happen, but when we locate her mother, you are going to have to give her back" warned Lucky.

"I know" said Courtney. "Thanks" she called back over her shoulder as she sprinted from the PCPD.

* * *

Courtney took a deep breath before walking into the Corinthos penthouse. Calling for Carly, the woman came down and stared in shock at the baby in Courtney's arms. 

"I didn't know you and Jason were…expecting" said Carly, trying to remember if Courtney had been pregnant and she managed to somehow forget or something.

"I found her abandoned in Kelly's" explained Carly.

"Thank god" said Carly, but when she looked at the expression of horror on her best friends face, she clarified. "Not that the baby was abandoned, but that you weren't pregnant. Because I didn't remember you being pregnant, and then I thought I was going crazy for a minute and that never has good results" said Carly with a smile.

"Nope, you're not going crazy Carly. Anyway, I brought her to the PCPD but Lucky said they would out her in foster care until they located her mother. And I couldn't just let her go with random strangers" explained Courtney.

"Of course you couldn't" agreed Carly. "I completely understand"

"Thanks, I'm glad that someone does. I have a feeling Sonny's going to kill me"

"Tell him that she's like a puppy. She followed you home" said Carly with a smile.

"This isn't a joke Carly. I didn't think. I just got attached to Meg-that's her name- and I didn't even think about how Sonny's going to react, or Jason for that matter"

"I'm sure they'll be fine about it. You have a foundation for children, that's what you do. You help kids. And you've seen the horrors of foster care first hand, and you weren't about to let this innocent baby that you could help go through that. That's not stupid. That's noble" comforted Carly.

"I guess your right" said Courtney. "Do you have any thing of Morgan or Michael's around here still? Like a crib, or a changing table. Just some old stuff that we can use" said Courtney, adjusting Meg in her arms.

"Honey, why use hand-me-downs when we can get all new stuff" said Carly, the familiar glint returning to her eye. "Let's go shopping" she gasped, literally clapping her hands together in delight.

* * *

Courtney stood back, still holding Meg, as she watched Carly command her own little army of guards. With the men working on their side, the crib, high chair, changing table, and all of the other assorted things were assembled and put in their proper places rather quickly. Carly had already arranged to repaint the guest room to decorate it for the baby, and Courtney feared that Carly was getting too attached to Meg, just like she was. Carly brushed her off, saying she was just excited to have a little girl around but Courtney knew the truth. Carly had fallen in love with her enchanting smile and capturing laugh, similar to Courtney herself.

* * *

Once the room was assembled and the painter's appointment was confirmed, Carly spread a blanket down on the floor of the living room in the Morgan penthouse and the two girls sat and played with Meg as she admired all of her new toys. The baby seemed ecstatic, and Courtney's belief that she had been denied these simple pleasures previously were basically confirmed. Courtney looked at Meg and decided in that moment that the little girl was perfect. It was easy for Courtney to forget that she would have to give back this baby soon. Especially because of the striking similarities the baby bore to her and Jason. The blue eyes belonged to both he and Courtney, and the bright blonde hair was obviously Courtney. The baby even seemed to have the same face shape as Jason, and their features were similar. 

Brushing some curls off of Meg's forehead, Courtney sat and contemplated the best way to tell Jason that she had found a baby. It wasn't a conversation they had every day. Carly was right, it was like having a puppy. They both wanted one, but there was the knowledge of how much work one would be. After they had given Rosie up, they knew how painful it was. They had loved that dog, but they couldn't raise her with all of the problems they were having. And that was just a dog. Giving up a baby would be ten times worse. Unsure of what to do, Courtney brushed those thoughts from her mind and instead focused on the perfect little girl in front of her.

* * *

A/N: I decided to explain Rosie's dissapearence. I don't think they ever went into it on the show, and that always bothered me. So, I killed two birds with one stone. I know that there was no Jason in that chapter, but look for his reaction to Meg next chapter. 


	3. We Have a Baby?

A/N: I have gotten excellent feedback for the last chapter. However, it has come to my attention that a few of you have the same idea about where this story is going, however, that was not what I was thinking at all. Some of you think that I am going to make the baby Journey's lovechild that magically survived. I hadn't even thought about that and I already planned out my story, so it just wont fit. So, anyone else can feel free to take the idea and write a story about it. The baby just looks like them so that they get more attatched.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- My first reviewer, as usual. Read the above note to find out about the baby. I'm glad you love the story.

luvthemorgans- I honestly do not know what to do with you sometimes. lol. To clerify, the baby is about 5 or 6 months old. And you do not suck. I love your stories and everyone should go read them.

sexyt- I'm so glad that you like it. I'm also glad you approved of the Rosie explanation.

britchic- Yay! You're back. I'm so glad that you've become attatched : )

SuzieQ8487 aka Sweetycakes- I'm glad you love it. And, for more clearification, Carly is of course portrayed by Tams, a woman I have become very attatched to.

Cait- Don't be anti-Sonny. I know I made him out to be a bad guy in _Trust_ so I've given the man the chance to redeem himself in this story. He'll be good 'ole lovable Sonny.

emmalee05- Aww. I love that you're coming to look specifically for my updates. That is too sweet.

jordananne- "TGIC" I love that. Can I borrow it for somewhere in the story? I promise you I will give you credit. Please, please, please. Give me permission in your next review!

isabelle- It's true. GH did abuse Rosie. She was just a little play thing in their minds. Thanks for reviewing!

anon14- I'm glad that you're glad that I have another story. Keep up the reviews!

Elvira- Another one who appreciates the Rosie explanation. I'm glad you all liked that. And I'm glad you liked the chapter Elvira!

K guys. This was a rather quick update. They are going to be less frequent and more spaced out, so don't expect one so often. But I wrote up a storm today (up to chapter 7) and I just really wanted to post one. Now, everyone go read and review...**

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Chapter 3- We Have a Baby?**

Jason leaned back against the wall of the elevator and stared at Sonny as the two rode up, on their way home. They were both eager to see their wives. The entire day had been spent dealing with one problem after another and Jason couldn't wait to just flop down on the couch and hold Courtney in his arms. But of course, Sonny wouldn't let him have it his way.

"Don't look at me like that" said Sonny, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jason just continued to give Sonny the death stare. Sonny had assigned him to work that night as well. They had a shipment coming in at early hours of the morning and he needed Jason to have everything prepared. Jason didn't used to mind being out all night taking care of work, but now he just wanted to spend whatever time he could with Courtney. Rubbing his face with his hand, he fixed Sonny with an even meaner stare and simply muttered "you're telling her" before walking off the elevator as it reached the appropriate floor. Sonny cursed under his breath for not thinking of telling Jason that he had to be the one to tell Courtney sooner. Sonny suddenly had the vision of a stiletto being chucked at his head. Shaking his head at the idea, he followed Jason off of the elevator.

Jason leaned against the door to his penthouse for a moment before giving a loud sigh and pushing it open. Walking in with Sonny on his tail, he stopped short, causing his best friend to accidentally ram right into him.

"What's going on here?" he asked, surveying the scene of his wife and sister-in-law on the floor with a baby he had never before seen in his life.

"Jase, what are you talking about? This is your baby, remember?" asked Carly

"What!" asked Jason, his voice reaching several octaves higher than anyone had ever thought it could.

Courtney, Sonny, and Carly's eyes all widened at the pitch before Courtney hit Carly.

"Jase, we need to talk" said Courtney. "Alone" she added, her eyes narrowing at a still laughing Carly.

Carly and Sonny left the room and Courtney picked up Meg before walking over to the couch and sitting with Jason.

"We have a baby?" he asked, still in shock over the fact that he possibly had a wife who was nine months pregnant and now managed to have a daughter who looked a few months old already. But wait a second; that was impossible.

"Not exactly" said Courtney. "I was in Kelly's with my father this morning and we heard a baby crying. We didn't see one, so we looked around and we found this baby. Alone and abandoned under a table. I took her to the PCPD and they're looking for her mother right now. But they wanted to put her in a foster home until then and I just couldn't do it. There are all sorts of terrible things that happen in foster homes, and I didn't want her being bounced around from home to home anyway" said Courtney, adjusting the baby in her arms. "So I convinced Lucky to let me take her home for now. And I know that I should have discussed this with you first before I made any rash decisions. But I just couldn't take the chance. Please don't be mad" said Courtney, finishing her story.

"I'm not mad" he answered truthfully. "I'm just a little shocked. Plus, what Carly said kind of freaked me out"

"Carly's a psychotic" said Courtney with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, you'd think I'd know that by now" said Jason with a smile.

"So, does that mean we can keep Meg?" asked Courtney hopefully.

"Of course we can keep her" said a taken aback Jason. "I would never leave an innocent child to be stuck in some foster home" he said, staring at the beautiful blonde haired blue eyed little girl in front of him.

Meg turned her head to look into Jason's eyes and she reached out her hand. Grabbing his finger, she gave it a squeeze and let out a soft coo. Jason scooted over so that he was closer to Courtney and Meg, and Courtney adjusted the baby so that she was sitting on both hers and Jason's laps.

"She's beautiful" said Jason, staring intently at the little girl before him.

"She is" agreed Courtney as she stared down at the baby.

Their moment was interrupted by a light knock at the door. Sonny entered and Jason sighed, knowing that he would have to go work.

"Jase, Carly told me everything. Take the night, I'll handle the shipments with Max" he said.

Jason nodded in appreciation and Sonny left the three alone again.

"You were supposed to work tonight?" asked Courtney, a little hurt that he didn't even tell her.

"Yeah, Sonny sprang it on me like an hour ago. I was going to tell you, but then, well, you know" he said, motioning towards Meg.

"Ok" she said, but her gaze refused to meet his.

Jason reached over and ran his hand down the side of her face. Tilting her head upwards, he sweetly kissed her lips, his tongue entering his mouth as the kiss deepened.

"I love you so much" he said once they had broken away.

"I love you too" she said, resting her forehead on his.

The tender moment was interrupted by Meg beginning to whimper.

"You hungry Meggie?" asked Jason, getting up and holding Meg in his arms. "Did you buy bottles and milk or anything yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's all in the kitchen. I'll go warm up a bottle" said Courtney, kissing Meg on the forehead before she walked back into the kitchen.

Meg was still whimpering so Jason held her tighter in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth, whispering nonsense words in her little ear. She soon calmed down and leaned in to him, grabbing his finger again and holding on for dear life. Courtney had the bottle in hand but she stopped for a moment, just watching her husband and daughter together. Shaking her head, Courtney tried to remember that Meg wasn't her daughter. But god was it hard, especially because of the shocking physical similarities between her and Jason and Courtney. Walking back into the living room, Courtney placed the bottle in Meg's mouth and with the hand that wasn't holding Jason's finger, she tried to hold the bottle herself. Seeing that she was having trouble, Jason sat down on the couch with Courtney at his side. She supported the bottle and the two silently watched as Meg drank. As she did, her eyelids became heavier and she started blinking. As time wore on, the blinks lasted longer, and eventually, she stopped opening her eyes all together. She still drank the bottle in her half asleep state, and eventually the sucking stopped and she had fallen fast asleep.

"There's a crib in the guest room" whispered Courtney to Jason and he nodded at her before getting up with Meg in his arms.

* * *

Jason walked into the guest room and gave a soft chuckle at the furniture that lay in the room. Leave it to Courtney and Carly to have a baby for a few hours and already have a nursery set up. Bending down, Jason placed Meg in the crib before pulling the blankets over her. He planted a small kiss on her forehead before straightening up and just watching her sleep. With each breath she took, her little stomach went up and then down. Jason put his hands on the bars of the crib and closed his eyes for a second, thinking of the babies he had lost. He had lost Michael and he had lost his baby with Courtney. Not only that, but he had lost all of his chances at having a baby with Courtney ever. But now there was Meg. Jason knew Meg wasn't his for good, but he couldn't help but get attached to her already. Jason ran his fingers through his short hair and took a deep breath. He watched Meg sleep for a while longer before he felt a small hand on his arm. Looking to his side, he saw Courtney standing there. Picking up his arm, he wrapped it around her, pulling her close to him. She took the hand Meg had been holding earlier and started to play with his fingers, similar to the little baby. 

"You're attached already?" Courtney whispered in a question, although she already knew the answer.

"I can't help it" he answered. "But aren't you?" he questioned softly, although he too already knew the answer.

"Can't help it" she answered with a smile as she looked down again at the baby, fast asleep in her crib.

"Let's let her sleep" said Jason, turning on the baby monitor next to Meg's crib.

Taking the other part of it and putting it into the pocket of his jeans, he and Courtney walked out of the room, each throwing one more glance at Meg before they left.

* * *

The couple walked down to their living room and Jason sat down on the couch, lying in a reclining position. Courtney lied down on top of his chest, and their feet interlocked. Kissing her head and temple and anywhere else his lips could reach without moving too much, he gently hugged her close to him, realizing how much he had missed his wife in the short time that he was away at working. Regardless of the fact that it was only a few hours. He took his hands and trailed up her arms, the skin of his fingertips running against the bare skin of her exposed arms. Reaching her head up, she parted her lips and waited for him. He bent his head down and kissed her, their tongues playing with each other's, rolling back and forth, massaging and comforting. When they finally broke away for breathing purposes, he just held her tighter in his arms. 

"We have a baby" said Courtney softly with a big smile gracing her perfect face.

"Yeah, we do" he answered, a big smile on his face too.

"I can't believe her mother would just abandon her like that" said Courtney, a shiver racing down her back as she wondered what would have happened had she not found Meg.

"I know. But it'll be ok, we have her now" said Jason, holding her close as he felt her body shake from the chills that had just ran through her.

"I have a confession to make" said Courtney. "I don't know the first thing about taking care of a baby. I know the basics, but not the actual detail and the things we need to do" she said.

"Don't worry about it. You'll learn"

"Says the baby expert" said Courtney with another smile.

"Hey, Michael was a boy. Meg's a girl. For all we know, it'll be completely different" said Jason.

"Yeah right. The only difference I can think of is when we're changing her diaper and she goes right there. With a girl, it doesn't go directly in your face" said Courtney, remembering his story with a giggle.

"That was not a fun experience" said Jason with a laugh as he recalled the first time he had changed Michael's diaper. The baby had decided he needed to go right there and then, unfortunately getting it all in Jason's face and particularly, his mouth.

"I'm sorry baby" she said softly, touching his face as she suddenly became somber.

"For what?" he asked.

"For everything. All you've ever wanted was a baby of your own. And every time you've had a chance at getting one, the baby was snatched from you. And now, I've ruined your chance at ever getting one" she said.

"Hey, you didn't ruin anything" he said, sitting up so that they were face to face. "You did what you thought was right. You tried to save yourself and our baby after I couldn't protect you both. This isn't your fault. It was Alcazar and the stupid doctors who did what they did to you" said Jason determinedly.

"You did to protect us. If I had just told you about the baby" she said, a tear running down her face.

"Hey, no more of this. We are just going to focus on the future, not the past. I love you more than anything, and I can't wait to have a family with you, even if we adopt. Even if it turns out that Meg becomes our family" said Jason, hope creeping into his voice.

"If they find her mother…" said Courtney.

"I know. We have to wing it" said Jason. "But no matter what, we will get our baby. And we will have our family. Even if it takes a while. But even without a baby, I have the first real family that I can ever remember" he said.

"Sonny and Carly?" she questioned, slightly confused.

"No, you" he said as he brushed back her hair and kissed her again.

The kiss was interrupted by Meg's cries, blasting through the baby monitor.

"And so it begins" said Courtney with a laugh.

"And so it does" he said, laughing himself. "I'll get it" he said with a sigh as he got off of the couch.

"How 'bout we get it together?" asked Courtney with a smile as Jason took her hand and the two walked up the stairs together.

* * *

A/N: Remember to review guys. It is very important to the story writing process. 


	4. Welcome to PC Meggie

A/N: This is just a little more info for you guys that I'm not sure that I gave you yet. Carly and Sonny's marriage is problem free and all happy go jolly. Allen's disposition towards Jason is how it is currently, not how it was before AJ died, which is when this takes place. And I don't remember what the whole deal with the Cellar was, but it was closed down and is being reopened, but you'll learn about that later.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I'm glad you thought Jason's reaction was so funny. I try.

SVUAngel- I'm setting you all up. I'm loading on the fluff and then later on I'm gonna take it all away. I'm glad that you think it's a cute story though.

jordananne- It could have been cuter. But then you all would have been gagging on just how sugary it was. Anyway, please don't die. I think we've talked about this in the past. It's not so good on the conscience.

Elvira- Jason would always accept a baby. He's a baby person. Glad you're liking it.

emmalee05- I'm glad you thought it was so adorable. I wanted Meg to be someone who they just clicked with.

Jen...courtneylovejason- Read my notes missy! I said last time the baby wasn't theirs! Geez, some people. I'm just kidding. Lol! I know it's not nice to make fun of the reviewers but you need to read my author notes. I don't write them for my health. I'm sorry, this is mean. I really do appreciate the review and I'm glad you like it. I hope I didn't drive you away from the story with my mean words!

britchic- I'm glad you liked the chapter. And it really was a good idea that you guys had, so feel free to take it and write it. I'm glad you like the name, read the bottom note about it.

kaley- I'm glad you love it. Courtney and Jason really needed a baby, it's about time they got one.

middiegurl08- I'm glad you like it. It is different from _Trust_, but I promise that it will be more angst driven later on. Right now, it's one big fluffy mess. However, it is no where as dark as _Trust _was.

CrazyJay- Wow, camping. That is one thing I will never ever be able to do. Let alone for a week. I don't believe in outside. There's no airconditioning. I'm glad you like the baby, and I'm glad you think she's cute. There is no way that the baby would be an ugly baby, I promise you!

sexyt- I am thrilled that you liked it. I would be just as freaked if that happend to me. And I'm glad you like my little touches. I try to make you guys go 'aww' when I'm not trying to make you all cry.

Cait- I'm glad you're liking the fluff, but don't get used to it. Things will turn bad eventually. When however, will not be revealed until the time comes.

luvthemorgans- I worry about you. And I do not hate you're reviews. I love them. I make fun of them, but I love them. Lol. J/k, I don't make fun, I just use 'em for a good laugh. Read the note on the bottom of the story, it's because of something you said.

anon14- Never apologize! It is perfectly ok that you didn't start reading when I first posted. But it's great that you're reading now and that you like it.

tydavislover- Thank you for reviewing! I don't know if they get to keep her yet, you need to keep reading...hahaha!

Stephanie- I'm glad you think it's cute. But, and this goes for everyone, don't get used to the cuteness. It must end, and it will in due time.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4- Welcome to PC Meggie**

Jason didn't know how long he thought it would take for the Quartermaines to find out about Meg, but he certainly didn't expect them to know about her by the next morning after she came into his and Courtney's lives. Jason was awake bright and early, taking the early morning Meg shift. He lifted the little girl to the ceiling and she giggled before he brought her back down to hold her to his chest. He could tell that she felt safe in his arms, and he liked that he was able to protect her, unlike his daughter. Suddenly, there was pounding on the door, and Jason hastily answered it so that the noise wouldn't wake Courtney. He sighed when he saw which Quartermaine was looking back at him and adjusted Meg in his arms.

"Is that her?" asked Allen.

"Is that who?" asked Jason.

"What, not only are you brain damaged, but your stupid?" scoffed Allen. "Is that the baby that your stripper wife found?" he asked.

"Allen, it's one thing to insult me, but abuse Courtney and you'll regret it"

"Ah yes, another famous Jason threat. Wouldn't expect anything less from a mobster. What kind of people let you take home this innocent baby" said Allen, holding out his arms for the little girl.

Meg started to whimper and grabbed on tight to Jason. He gently rubbed her back and held her tightly so that she knew he wouldn't let anyone get to her.

"Allen, leave. You're scaring her" ordered Jason, his eyes icy as he looked at Allen.

"I don't need a damaged thug telling me that _I'm_ scaring a child" he scoffed.

"Allen, get out of our house" said Courtney, coming down the stairs and standing next to Jason, putting one hand on his arm.

"You don't tell me what to do" demanded Allen. "If this baby is going to be Jason's foster daughter, or adopted daughter for that matter, than that makes me her grandfather. Little Meggie Quartermaine" said Allen, using a baby voice for the last part, only scaring Meg more.

"Meg will never be a Quartermaine" countered Jason as he looked at Allen in sheer anger. Sensing that his anger was scaring Meg, he tried to calm down by wrapping one arm around Courtney to keep his angel closer to him.

"Well, she certainly won't be a Morgan" said Allen.

"That's where your wrong Allen" said Courtney. "We won't say it again. Leave" said Courtney.

"Not without holding my own granddaughter" said Allen.

Jason handed Meg to Courtney and the little girl buried her head into Courtney's shoulder. Courtney rubbed Meg's back just as Jason had been doing and took a step back. Jason walked over to Allen and literally pulled him from the penthouse. Allen's protests and threats to involve the police fell on deaf ears, and Jason slammed the door behind Allen, locking it. He rubbed his face with his hands and when he opened his eyes again, he saw his family in front of him. His expression softened as he took a step towards Courtney, engulfing her in a hug with Meg still in her arms.

"I'm sorry that he woke you up" said Jason

"It's not your fault. Besides, I'm sorry that he came here and said all of those terrible things to you" said Courtney.

"Allen's a jerk, let's just forget that he was even here" said Jason as he rubbed his face again.

"Sounds good to me" said Courtney, going over to her husband and leaning into his chest.

Jason stopped rubbing his face and used his hands to engulf his wife and child in another big hug.

"So, what should we do today?" asked Jason with a smile.

"You don't have to work?" she asked him hopefully.

"I can take a day off to be with my wife and our new baby" said Jason with a smile.

Courtney's smile faded and she took a step back after putting Meg in Jason's arms.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"Jase, Meg's not our baby. We are going to have to give her back eventually" warned Courtney.

Jason sighed and sat down on the couch.

"I know. But for now, I want to at least pretend that she's our baby. We will be taking care of her. We can be her temporary parents. What do you say, can we be mom and dad?" he asked her hopefully.

"We can be mom and dad" said Courtney with a smile as she sat down on the couch next to her husband and their daughter.

"So, you never answered my question" said Jason. "What should we do today?"

* * *

It was a perfect day to be at the park. It was sunny out and the sky was filled with white puffy clouds. It was hot without being too hot, and a light breeze blew through the grass and trees. Meg was having the time of her life. She sat in Courtney's arms on the swing, going back and forth as Jason lightly pushed them. Courtney's bare feet swung as the swing moved, her shoes remaining abandoned next to Jason. Jason caught the swing as it came down and bent over to give each of his girls a kiss. Meg gurgled with happiness, and Courtney and Jason each had their own content sighs. 

"This looks cute" said a voice and Jason and Courtney both looked up, coming face to face with AJ.

Jason walked around the swing so that he was in front of Courtney and Meg, protecting them from his brother. Courtney stood up, holding Meg tightly in her arms, trying to shield her from AJ's view.

"What the hell do you want AJ?" asked Jason and he reached his hand back so that Courtney could take it. She accepted his attempt to comfort her and she squeezed his hand to let him know that she was ok.

"I want my wife back. And I want my son. And now, I want my daughter" he said, throwing a glance at Meg.

"Courtney's not your wife, Michael's not your son, and Meg is definitely not your daughter" said Jason, anger boiling up inside of him as he stared at the man who claimed to be his brother.

"You're wrong. Courtney will always be my wife, Michael will always be my son, and as for this one over here," he said, motioning to Meg, "she will be my daughter with my wife, even if she isn't now" said AJ, stressing the word 'my' as he glared past Jason and over to Courtney.

Jason dropped Courtney's hand and strode over to AJ, anger apparent in his eyes. AJ recognized the anger in Jason's eyes and took a step back but Jason still managed to grab him. Holding AJ by the neck, Jason leaned dangerously close to AJ's face. In a low yet terrifying voice he warned AJ to stay away from his family.

"If you even look at Courtney or Meg, I will kill you, don't think I won't" he warned his anger about to boil over. "Do we have an understanding?" Jason asked.

AJ was unable to speak so instead he gave a little nod of his head, wincing at how tight Jason's fingers were around his neck. Jason finally released AJ and he stumbled backwards, gasping for air. Muttering about how Jason was a sick freak, he walked off, leaving Jason there to seethe with anger. After taking a moment to collect himself, he walked back over to Courtney and Meg. Courtney was staring at him with worry in her eyes and Meg looked at him with confusion. No one said anything for a moment and then finally Meg let out a little random giggle. Looking down at her smiling face, Jason was unable to not smile himself. Courtney also broke out in a smile, and then she ran into Jason's outstretched arms. He gently rubbed her back with one hand and Meg's with the other.

"I'm sorry that I scared you" he mumbled into her hair.

"It's alright. You were protecting us from the slime that is AJ" comforted Courtney.

Jason pulled away to stare into her brilliant blue eyes. Leaning down, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. His hands were on her face, and he moved them over to her hair, threading his fingers through the blonde silk. Finally, the couple pulled away again and Jason whispered something in her ear.

"Let's not let AJ ruin our day" he murmured and his wife agreed with him.

* * *

Later that night, Courtney was desperately trying to get in the shower, clean up the penthouse, take care of Meg, and talk Jason out of wearing jeans and a t-shirt all in the same half an hour. They had lost track of time at the park, and now they were running late for the dinner they had planned with Sonny, Carly, and the boys. Carly, who was in the middle of reinventing and reopening the Cellar, had decided that they should all have a nice dinner there. That meant trying to get Jason to wear something nice. 

"I don't understand. This is about giving Sonny, Carly, Michael, and Morgan a chance to meet Meg. Shouldn't it be somewhere more comfortable? Like right here so she has all of her toys" asked Jason.

"And so you can wear jeans and a black t-shirt" said Courtney with a roll of her eyes.

"That would just be an added bonus" argued Jason.

"Jase, I'm only going to warn you once. Go get dressed and take care of Meg while I shower, or you will be sleeping on the couch tonight"

"Is that a threat Mrs. Morgan?" he asked.

"No, that's a promise" she called back over her shoulder as she walked upstairs.

"I've taught you well" he called after her and she turned and smiled at him for a moment before rushing around again.

* * *

45 minutes later, a grumbling Jason put Meg into her car seat as Courtney sat in the front, putting on her makeup in the little mirror in the sun visor. Having a baby definitely made everything take twice as long, and Courtney hadn't had the time to finish getting ready. Jason finally got Meg settled and he walked around to the driver's seat. Courtney closed the mascara she was holding and turned to him. Next thing he knew, a silk noose was being slipped around his neck. 

"What are you doing?" he asked her, pulling at her fingers as she attempted to tie the offending article of clothing around his neck.

"I am making you presentable" she said as she finished what she was doing and tightened it.

Jason promptly loosened it and tried to take it off. But Courtney would hear nothing of it. Hitting his hand, she gave him the same threat as before. Jason sighed, knowing that she was serious. The last thing he needed was a stay on the couch. Glancing at her, she gave him a sarcastic smile.

"I'm going to have to wipe that smile off of your face" he said.

"Oh really, is that a threat?" she asked.

"No, it's a promise" he mocked before bending down to kiss her.

"Jase, we're late as it is" she said, using all of her self control to pull away from him.

"Alright, fine" he said with a sigh before backing the car out of the lot and speeding away towards the Cellar.

* * *

Jason and Courtney walked down the stairs to the Cellar with Meg in Jason's arms only to see a very angry Carly. She stood at the foot of the stairs, tapping her Prada shoe on the floors, staring at them. 

"You're late" she said, glaring at them.

"Sorry, we didn't know how much a baby affects our getting ready time" said Courtney.

"Sure, blame it on the kid" said Carly with a smile before she spun around and walked over to the table she had set up.

Sonny was sitting there, talking business on his cell phone while the boys ran around. Michael was trying to keep a ball away from Morgan, and the poor little boy was racing around, trying to get it from his brother.

"Sonny!" scolded Carly, but when she received no answer, she tried a louder 'Sonny' and than an even louder one which finally got his attention.

"What?" he asked her.

Striding over to him, she grabbed the cell phone from his hand and dropped it into the pitcher of water on the table. Walking over to Michael, she grabbed the ball from his hands, gave it to Morgan and then let out a loud sigh.

"Let's try to be a normal family tonight, is that ok with everyone?" she asked loudly.

Everyone grumbled in the affirmative and then finally Carly was content. A big smile came over her face and she plucked Meg from Jason's arms.

"Mikey, Morgan, this is Meg. Hah, another 'M'" said Carly as realization hit her.

"Is Meg our new baby cousin?" Michael asked.

"Sort of" said Jason, kneeling down so that he and Michael were the same height. "Meg's going to stay with Aunt Courtney and me for a little bit. We're going to take care of her. So in a way, yes, she is your new cousin" said Jason.

"That's good, I've been waiting for you crazy kids to settle down" said Michael, giving Jason a mock pat on the back, prompting laughter from all of the adults and Morgan, who didn't really know what was going on but saw that everyone else was laughing.

* * *

The children lasted about ten minutes at the dinner table before Michael and Morgan ran off, coming back only to steal breadsticks or entertain Meg before she fell asleep in her carrier. For the first 15 minutes of the meal, Sonny complained that Carly broke his phone and Jason complained about wearing a tie. After that, the girls were able to use their convincing powers to get them to shut up and just eat dinner. Courtney and Jason told Sonny and Carly all about both Allen and AJ. Sonny immediately demanded AJ's head for threatening his sister and 'niece', but Courtney was able to calm him down. Now that Meg was in their lives, she especially didn't want any violence. Instead, she wanted to have the perfect nuclear family with her perfect husband and live in perfection. She wanted to work at her foundation and come home to her beautiful daughter. She wanted to be later joined by her handsome husband, the coffee importer and only the coffee importer. And she wanted to live Happily Ever After. But let's face it, this was Port Charles. Happily Ever After is just one big myth.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty, guys this is an IMPORTANT ONE! SO EVERYONE READ THIS NOTE RIGHT NOW! I hope the caps dragged everyone in. I know that some of you skip my babbling and go straight to the story, or reviewing, or whatever. Now, about this name Meg. It popped into my head as I was writing and I couldn't get it out. So I used it. Then, I started to read stories with the name in it and I remembered reading stories in the past with the name. But I figured no one would notice. But people noticed. So, I am more than willing to change her name to set me apart from the crowd. However, if you all gottooattatched to the name and want me to keep it, I will do that. So, I need everyone's opinion. Every single review I get back must have a vote for either side. Otherwise, I will disregard the review and I am not updating until I get 15 acceptable reviews. So, everyone think, and then let me know your decisions. Now, go review and vote. In the meantime, I'm going to go read a book of baby names in preparation. I'm just that pathetic. 


	5. Gone

A/N: Thank you everyone for all of the name votes. It has been decided that Meg will remain Meg, with the votes 15 to 1 (sorry Kathryn). Just so you know, the name I was going to change it to was Ava. Looks like I'll just have to write another story and use that name in it. Also, I wasn't sure what exactly I specified with time period in this story so I just want to say that there is no Durant, there is Scott and Taggert, and Morgan is a little older than he currently is on the show. It's my world, I can do what I want to.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- They are one big happy family. At least for now... >evil grin and cackle>

luvthemorgans- Don't feel guilty about the name thing. I was having doubts about it before you said anything and anyway, it all worked out. And I loved the review- Jason is def the better brother. AJ's a giant turd.

kaleymc- I figured that was something Mikey would say. He's just so cute! I wanna steal him (is that kidnapping? Yes? Oh well!)

Kathryn- Sorry that you didn't get your way. You can call her Ava in your head!

audri- Thanks for reviewing and for voting!

jordananne- Let's face it- the women of PC have all the real power! The men are just their puppets!

middiegurl08- Fluff is cute and sweet and necessary. But I'm glad you like the drama and angst, cause it may just sneak up on you when you are least expecting it...

SVUAngel- Hmm, you're just beginning to like my story... thanks. Thanks so much >sarcastic death stare> I'm just kidding. I know it started out slow, but it gets intense soon.

Cait- Thank you for the suggestions for the names. I did like the name Lily as an option, but then there's the whole Sonny's first wife thing so that could never work.

emmalee05- I thought it was a good time for Jason to not be a jerk and to take care of his family. And that includes putting his foot down and standing up to Sonny! Taking off a day isin't that terrible for him to do once in a while, is it!

britchic- I thought it was a very Carly thing to do. And I figured it would really piss off Sonny. I'm glad you liked it.

sexyt- Glad you're lovin' it, even if it all fluffy right now. Allan is a bastard. If you couldn't tell, I hate the guy.

Elvira- Read what I just wrote to sexyt- it's exactly what you said ( I didn't even realize). We both really hate Allan. And AJ.

anon14- AJ never stands a chance. Thanks for voting!

tydavislover- Don't be scared. Alright, be a little scared. Maybe a lotta scared...

cupcup89- Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're liking it.

Good job with the votes guys. I expected at least one slacker who wouldn't include a vote with the review, but you all did it. So mazel tov!

Anytay...**

* * *

Chapter 5- Gone **

The PCPD was never one for being competent, but this took the cake. It had been three weeks, and Meg's mother was still not found. But the Morgan family had always loved the PCPD's ineptitude, and this was no exception. They had become extremely attached to Meg and at this point, they had no intentions of ever letting her go. In this time, they had formed their own little family. Michael and Morgan loved their baby cousin, and Carly and Sonny loved their niece. Emily and Monica had also gotten a chance to meet Meg, as had Lila. Edward had accepted the little girl only because Lila had made him. Allen still believed that Meg should be a Quartermaine, and AJ steered clear of her, afraid of the consequences.

* * *

Courtney awoke late one morning, expecting to be alone in bed. To her surprise, Jason was there, watching her sleep as he stroked her hair. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I live here, remember" he said with a smile.

"I meant what are you doing in bed. Usually you're up by 5 doing some business for Sonny"

"Sonny decided I can use some time with my wife. What do you say, one day of uninterrupted me and you time?" he asked her.

"What about Meg?" questioned Courtney.

"Emily and Nikolas are watching her" said Jason with another smile.

"Me and you time sounds excellent" said Courtney as she snuggled deeper into her husband's arms.

Jason pulled Courtney even closer to him and started kissing her all over. His lips brushed her flesh, and she let out little moans as he parted his lips so that his teeth and tongue got their turns at her sweet skin. Moving his head so that their mouths were together, he ran his hands down her arms, pulling them up and holding them over her head. His body was on top of hers, although he was careful not to crush her. He made his way down her neck, planting little kisses, until he became dangerously lower. Finally letting go of her arms, she threaded her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck, breathing in deeply as he continued his kisses.

* * *

Jason finally rolled off of Courtney hours later. Both lovers were exhausted and out of breath. Courtney brushed her hair off of her face and turned and looked at him, giving him a little exhausted laugh. 

"I guess that takes care of any exercising for the week" said Courtney.

"It certainly is a good way to stay in shape" agreed Jason with a smile.

"So, are we going to stay in bed all day?" asked Courtney.

"Do you have a problem with that?" he asked her.

"Me? Not at all" she said seductively, running her hand up his chest.

"Good" he whispered before kissing her again.

"But I could use something to eat" she said, pulling away from him.

Seeing the disappointed look on his face, she kissed his lips, but then got up and began to put her clothes back on, despite Jason's protests. Finally, he pulled her back down to the bed and removed her clothes hastily again before telling her to stay where she was. Hopping out of bed, Jason left the bedroom without even bothering to cover himself up. Courtney watched his naked ass walk away and she let out a little laugh, lying back down on the bed. Three minutes later, Jason came back upstairs with a bottle of wine, some prepackaged cookiedough, and a bag of popcorn. Passing Courtney a spoon, he tore open the package of cookiedough and the two dug in.

"What's with the junk?" she asked. "I always thought of you as a carrot stick and apples kinda guy"

"I figured we were getting enough exercise. We can eat unhealthily for one day" he said and she laughed a little at him before digging into the popcorn as well.

* * *

Later that day, Courtney's stomach was growling again. 

"Looks we have to get out of bed and get some real food" he said.

"Looks like it" she said with a smile as she removed herself from her husband's arms and began to get dressed.

"You sure you don't want to eat naked?" he asked her.

"You really want me to go out in public naked?" she asked him, one hand on her hip.

"Public?" he asked with a groan. "I thought we could order in" he said.

"Works for me" she said kissing him and getting back into bed.

"I'll get Max to pick it up" he said as wrapped the sheet around his lower body so that he could go out and tell Max that they desperately needed Chinese food.

* * *

As Jason was in the hallway talking to Max, Courtney went into her closet to put on a sexy negligee. She wanted to tease Jason a little. Fixing her hair and makeup, Courtney decided she was pleased with her image. Walking downstairs, she was surprised to hear how quiet it was. Peaking her head out into the hallway, she saw no one there. She began to get nervous, so she quickly tried to lock the door. All of the sudden, a hand came and pushed the door open, preventing her from closing it. Another hand went over her mouth before she had time to scream, and she felt herself being overpowered by the men that were coming at her. Courtney struggled until she felt a cloth come over her mouth, causing her to black out as she was chloroformed. The men took the unconscious blonde and hurried out with her. 

They had just made it into the elevator when Jason and Max emerged from the Corinthos penthouse. Max went and waited for the elevator so that he could go get the food, and Jason hurried back to his penthouse, neither suspecting that anything was wrong. When Jason saw that the door to his penthouse was open, he became frightened.

"Courtney!" he yelled, running in to it. "Courtney?" he called again.

Running over to Sonny's, he barged right in.

"Sonny, Courtney's gone" he said, his heart breaking as he even said the words.

"What do you mean she's 'gone'?" he asked his best friend, although by looking at Jason's face, he knew already.

"I don't know. The door was opened, and it looked like there was a struggle, and she's not in the penthouse anymore" said Jason, trying to keep his tears at bay. "Oh my god, Meg!" Jason said, immediately taking out his cell phone and dialing his sister's number.

Sonny didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to comfort Jason. He didn't know how to comfort himself. How was his sister just snatched out from under his nose?

"Emily, its Jason. Is Meg ok?" he asked, nearly hysterical.

"She's fine, why?" asked Emily.

"I'm sending a guard over to bring you and Meg to the penthouse. Nikolas can come too. It's going to be Marco. Don't answer the door to anyone but him" demanded Jason.

"Alright, just calm down and tell me what's wrong. You're scaring me" said Emily.

"Someone took Courtney" said Jason, bearing the pain of even saying the words.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Emily was rushed into the penthouse with Nikolas. Nik had Meg in his arms, and Jason stopped pacing long enough to run to them and take his daughter back. Cradling her in his arms, he breathed in a sigh of relief that she was ok. 

"What happened Jase?" asked Emily.

"I don't know. I went into Sonny's penthouse for a minute, and when I came back our door was open and Courtney was gone. The stuff by the door was knocked on to the floor" he said motioning to the mess.

"Did you call the police?" asked Nikolas and Jason gave him a look that quickly shut him up.

"Do you have any idea who took her?" asked Emily with concern as she lightly put her hand on her brother's arm.

"No" he said softly, handing Meg to Emily.

Jason sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. Emily gave Meg to Nikolas and sat down with Jason, rubbing his back gently.

"It'll be ok, you'll find her" said Emily, trying to keep him thinking positively.

"I don't know what to do. I need her Emily. Where is she?" asked Jason, looking vulnerable and hurt.

At this point, Meg started crying and fussing. Nikolas tried to calm her down, but it was something only her daddy could do. Taking Meg back in his arms, he rocked her back and forth and rubbed her back.

"Do you want us to stay?" asked Emily.

"No, it's ok" said Jason. "But I want to put a guard on you" said Jason.

"That's fine" said Emily softly.

Sonny walked in and led Emily and Nik from the room to go introduce Emily to her new professional body guard. Jason sat down on the couch and propped his legs up on the coffee table, putting Meg in the little nook he had created. The little girl cooed and let out a small smile. In spite of himself, Jason managed to give her a weak smile back.

"You look so much like your mommy" said Jason. "I know that it's just a coincidence, but I can't help but feel that you came into our lives on purpose" he said, giving off a sad little laugh. "Courtney would love to hear me say that something happened for a reason. That I'm suddenly believing in a divine intervention or whatever" said Jason as Meg started to cry.

Jason adjusted Meg in his arms so that he was holding her close to his body, but nothing he did calmed her down. She wasn't hungry, her diaper wasn't dirty, she didn't want any of her toys- nothing.

"I know what's wrong" said Jason as realization hit him. "You miss your mommy. Its ok Meggie, I miss her too. I miss her so much" said Jason as a lone tear ran down his face. "Someone came into our own home and just took her from me. How could I have let this happen?" Jason asked Meg, knowing full well that she couldn't answer. "I promised her I would protect her, and I let her down. How could I have done that?" asked Jason as he held Meg tighter to him and the two just cried together.

* * *

Courtney awoke with a splitting headache. Sitting up, she looked around the room that she was in. It was small, but not too small. She was resting on a small bed, and other furniture in the room included a dresser, a chair, a small table with another chair, and a television. Getting up, Courtney saw that there was a small bathroom off of her room, including a tub with a shower, a toilet, and a sink. There was also a tiny kitchen with a fridge that had some food and a microwave. There were no knives though she noticed regrettably, knowing that her captors wouldn't have given her a weapon anyway. Seeing one more door, Courtney pulled at the knob, but just as she suspected, it was locked tight. Going over to the one window in the room, she saw that she was in an area with lots of trees and not much else. Shivering, she hugged her arms around her body and looked down at what she was wearing. She was still in the negligee that she had put on for Jason. At the thought of him, her heart gave way. She sat down on the bed and started to cry. She wanted her husband so badly. She thought about how worried he must be. She didn't want him worrying over her. She hated it when he worried. He always looked so much older and weaker. He wasn't her strong, strapping husband. What she would give up if it just meant she was in his arms right now. She wouldn't eat junk food anymore, and she wouldn't make Jason watch chick flicks. It would be all vegetables and action movies. If only she could be with her husband. And then there was Meg. She must be upset too that Courtney wasn't there. And poor Jason, having to take care of her all by himself while worrying about her. Trying to assure herself that Leticia was there and that Jason wasn't alone in taking care of Meg, Courtney was able to calm down a little bit. Walking over to the dresser, she opened one of the drawers and pulled out a green tank top and a pair of white pajama pants. Slipping into them, she took the blanket off of the foot of the bed and wrapped herself in it. She wished that the blanket was Jason's arms. God did she wish that the blanket was Jason's arms.

* * *

Jason had finally gotten Meg to fall asleep. Carrying her upstairs, he put her in her crib and turned down the lights. The sickening thought that Courtney was taken from her own home ran through his mind, and he sat down in the rocking chair in Meg's room. Taking the blanket off of the back of the chair, he covered himself up and just watched Meg sleep. He had no intentions of getting any sleep. Not while Courtney was gone. Not while she was missing, and all alone. He only hoped that whoever had her was treating her right. That they were giving her plenty of food, and water, and keeping her warm. That they didn't dare lay a finger on her. They were already dead, but if they hurt her, their deaths would be much slower, and much more painful. Jason opened and closed his fist, trying to work through his anger. Looking at Meg's peaceful form, he calmed down a little bit. But the only thing that would truly calm him down was having his wife in his arms.

* * *

Courtney lied down in the bed and attempted to go to sleep. She wondered if Jason and Meg were alright. Did they miss her? She knew that Jason was currently nursing a broken heart. She knew because she was too. She wanted her husband and baby, was that too much to ask? Wiping a tear off of her face, she tried to imagine that she was at home with Jason and Meg was in the next room. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't.

* * *

A/N: And so it begins... although I tricked you all because the first half was fluffy, but I'm sure the title gave part of this away. Another Journey in bed all day scene. I do love those! Anyway, reviews people. They make me happy. 


	6. Midnight Meetings

A/N: And so the intensity and angst is begining. I spoiled you all with all of the fluff, but now it's getting good.

luvthemorgans- Glad you're liking it and I'm glad that I stumped you!

britchic- Everyone loves Journey in bed all day! And keep in mind- I am a mean person.

kaleymc- I'm glad you wanted to cry! I love when I move my readers to tears, however mean that may sound!

sexyt- I'm glad you like it. Remember though, I like to put lots of red herrings in my stories. So you may or may not be right.

journeyfan01- Glad you're liking it. Keep reading to find out who took her!

tydavislover- Wow, I managed to fool you twice. Guess I'm just that good. Lol, j/k.

Cait- Aww, you're not a goofball. Besides, I really did like the name Lily. And yes, I am perfectly aware of the fact that I'm cruel and I'm lovin it!

anon14- Hahaha! (That's supposed to be an evil laugh). I hope this update is soon enough for you!

Elvira- Sorry to dissapoint. But there will be plently of time for that. Right now, he needs to take care of Meg and protect her. Plus, he has no idea where Courtney is so he needs to do some research too. I hope you still love me even though you're mad! ; )

middiegurl08- I'm glad that I was able to suprise you. Suprises are always good. Right?

SuzieQ8487- See, this is what you're used to from me, right? The tear jerking chapters. Get used to them, I have a quite a few more sad ones. And thanks for the reviews from the last few chapters too.

**

* * *

Chapter 6- Midnight Meetings**

It had been two days since Courtney's kidnapping, and Jason was going crazy. He didn't know what to do with himself. He spent all of his time looking for Courtney, or looking for a lead at least. Any other time was spent with Meg. Meg was feeling Courtney's disappearance, and Jason could tell. The little girl smiled less often, and her happy giggle was now rare. She hardly slept, and spent the nights crying her eyes out.

* * *

Jason had finally gotten her down for a nap. He sunk into the couch, putting his hands over his face. He hadn't gotten any sleep since Courtney's disappearance, unless you counted an hour or so here and there. Sonny tentatively pushed the Morgan penthouse door open and looked inside. He saw his best friend on the couch, looking completely miserable and out of it. 

"Hey" said Jason softly when he saw Sonny.

"Hey yourself" said Sonny as he walked in. "Is Meg asleep?"

"Yeah, but who knows for how long" said Jason with a sigh. "She misses Courtney"

"We all do" said Sonny gently as he thought of his sister.

"I just hope whoever it is that has her is treating her ok" said Jason.

"I'm sure they are. If they know what's good for them they are" said Sonny, gaining his old resilient attitude at the end.

"Has anyone contacted you yet?" asked Jason.

"No, not yet" said Sonny.

"What the hell is taking them so long? Unless…" said Jason.

"Unless what?" asked Sonny.

"Unless they already…"

"No. They wouldn't. And you would be able to feel it if she was gone. And I would too. Courtney is alive and well. We just need to find her and bring her home" said Sonny.

"I hope your right" said Jason. "Have you spoken to Stan lately?"

"Yeah, just a little while ago. But he wasn't able to find anything but he said-"

Sonny was cut off by Meg's cries as she screamed louder than Sonny ever imagined a child could.

"She certainly has a set of lungs on her" said a taken aback Sonny.

Jason just glared at him before racing up the stairs to Meg's nursery. A few minutes later, he returned with the baby in his arms.

"Hey Meg" said Sonny, and the little girl just looked at him with her sweet blue eyes as a small fist came up and rubbed at the blue orbs, brushing sleep from her face.

She whimpered again and Jason held her tighter, gently rubbing her back and kissing her forehead.

"What were you saying about Stan?" asked Jason as he adjusted Meg in his arms so he could get a better view of Sonny.

"What? Oh, right, Stan" said Sonny coming out of his daze he was in as he looked at Meg and thought of his sister. "He hasn't found anything, but he has more contacts, and he has everyone he knows working on it. We will find her Jase" said Sonny.

"I know. But until we do…"

"We just all need to stay strong" said Sonny. "You know what; let me take Meg for the day. Carly can watch her. You need to get some sleep and relax a little"

"I can't sleep while Courtney's gone" said Jason.

"Well, you can't look for her while you're this wired either" said Sonny.

"I'm not wired. I'm just a little out of it" said Jason as he defended himself.

"Seriously Jason, I am ordering you to relax" said Sonny, a mock stern look on his face.

"I'd rather just keep Meg with me" said Jason. "You know, so I can keep an eye on her" said Jason.

"Jason Morgan, do you not trust me" said Carly as she entered the penthouse, her hands on her hips.

"Carly, I trust you. It's the people who took Courtney who I don't trust"

"Jase, come on. It's me. I can watch her just fine and keep her safe" said Carly with a roll of her eyes.

"Carly, just leave him alone" said Sonny as he tried to pull Carly out of the penthouse.

"Sorry, can't do that. I care about Courtney, and I want my best friend to come home safe. And in order to do that, my other best friend needs to get some rest so he can find her" said Carly. "So really, I'm doing this for Courtney. And a little bit for myself" she added.

"Fine" said Jason as he looked at Meg as she was still waking up from her short-lived nap. "You're going to spend some time with Aunt Carly, ok?" said Jason as he looked at Meg. "I know that she's crazy, and I know that she's weird, but you'll be safe. And I'll be right across the hall" Jason explained.

"Hahaha. That is so funny Jason" said Carly as she rolled her eyes. "It's true what they say, you can't crack a joke" said Carly as she took the baby from Jason's arms. "We are going to have so much fun Meggie. We ladies gotta band together against the real crazies- the men like your dad and Uncle Sonny. We can read fashion magazines!" exclaimed Carly.

"Keep in mind, she's only a few months old" warned Sonny.

"It's never too early to start to learn about what to wear and what not to wear" said Carly. "I am teaching her valuable life lessons"

"Oh boy" said Sonny as he rolled his eyes, and Jason even cracked a small smile.

"Hey look at that, you're smiling" said Carly as she pointed to Jason's mouth.

"No I'm not" he said as he wiped the grin off his face.

"Whatever you say Jase" said Carly as she walked out with Meg in her arms.

Jason watched them go, his eyes trained on Meg as she left. Jason had become so attached to that little girl. Sonny followed his friend's gaze and gave a bittersweet smile as he realized what was wrong.

"Jase, don't worry. She'll be fine" said Sonny.

"Which 'she' are you referring to?" asked Jason.

"Both of them. Both Courtney and Meg will be safe in your arms very soon" said Sonny.

"I need to find my wife" said Jason, the tears welling up in his eyes again.

"And we will find her" said Sonny. "She's my sister, and I love her. I'm not about to let anything happen to her" soothed Sonny.

"Your right. You wouldn't" said Jason as he tried to bring himself back down to reality and calm down about Courtney. "I just worry about her"

"Get some rest man" said Sonny, giving him an affectionate shoulder pat before walking out of Jason's penthouse, leaving him all alone.

* * *

Jason tried to take Sonny's advice. He lied down on the couch and closed his eyes, begging for sleep to overtake him. But it didn't work. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw a scared Courtney. Or sometimes, he saw a crying Meg. He saw his family hurt and afraid. Jason didn't know what it meant to feel fear. But he knew that what he was experiencing right now was pretty terrifying. He sighed before giving up on sleep. Instead, he walked over to the doors leading to the terrace and walked out, standing on the balcony. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was the start of sunset. Soon, it would be night. And night meant being alone in his bed. Of course, Jason would give up on staying in that big bed alone pretty early in the night. He would usually be so concerned about Meg that he would stay in the rocking chair in her bedroom. 

Jason couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his keys and leather jacket and left the penthouse. He walked down to the building's parking lot and retrieved his bike. Jason just needed a ride to clear his mind. To get his focus back. And right now, he needed to focus on getting back his wife.

* * *

Jason was at Vista Point, just trying to clear his mind when he was disrupted by the sound of his cell phone looking. The caller ID said the number was restricted, and Jason glanced at it in confusion before answering the call with his usual greeting. 

"Morgan"

"Mr. Morgan" said an icy voice.

"Who the hell is this?" he asked.

"I have a business proposition for you" said the voice on the other end. "And your wife's life depends on it"

"Tell me who the hell this is" he growled into the phone.

"I make the demands Mr. Morgan"

"What do you want?" asked Jason.

"I want a meeting. You and your boss. On the docks at midnight. Come alone" he warned.

"We'll be there" said Jason. "But I want to talk to her"

"That can't happen Mr. Morgan"

"How do I know that you didn't hurt her? Or that she's not dead already?" asked Jason, although he was just bluffing. He knew that Courtney was ok. He could feel it.

"You're just going to have to trust me Mr. Morgan" said the voice. "Midnight. Docks. Just you and Corinthos"

"Wait!" yelled Jason into the phone but it was too late. Whoever was on the other end had hung up. "Dammit" he yelled, desperate to punch something, but seeing nothing around.

* * *

"SONNY!" yelled Jason as he ran into his best friend and brother-in-law's penthouse. 

"What is it? You're going to wake the kids" Sonny scolded as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"I got a call. From the kidnapper. He wants to meet us at the docks, tonight at midnight."

Sonny glanced at his watch before saying "we don't have much time to prepare"

* * *

Jason looked down at the ground, kicking a rock off of the dock and into the water. He watched as it bounced before landing with barely a splash. Sonny took a deep breath next to him as the two waited for their meeting to start. 

"He's late" said Sonny as he glanced at his watch.

Jason rubbed his face with his hands.

"He's probably hurting my wife right now" said Jason with a heavy heart as he sat down on the ground, his knees up with his head buried in them.

"Jason, we can't think like that" said Sonny. "We need to stay positive for Courtney's sake"

"How the hell do you expect me to do that Sonny?" asked Jason. "My wife is missing. My daughter is feeling the emotional turmoil that causes, as am I"

"Come on, let's talk about something good. How's Meg?" asked Sonny. "You know, other than these past few days?"

"Courtney and I have gotten attached. Maybe a little too attached. We forget that she's not our daughter sometimes. It's hard. We know in the back of our minds that we are going to have to give her back eventually"

"Not necessarily" said Sonny.

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"I mean that maybe her mother won't be found"

"And then in that case she goes into foster care and into the system"

"Children slip through the cracks in the system all of the time"

"What are you suggesting?" asked Jason as he looked up at Sonny with his brow furrowed and his blue eyes even more piercing than usual.

"I just mean…" said Sonny, "what if we did everything in our power to prevent Meg from being taken from you"

"Courtney would never go for the illegal stuff"

"Even if it meant saving your baby?" asked Sonny with one eyebrow raised.

"I don't know Sonny. Right now, it doesn't even matter. Because Courtney is gone. And where the hell is this guy?" asked Jason. "It's nearly one in the morning"

"I dunno, let's wait a little longer" said Sonny.

"You need to call Carly?" asked Jason.

"Probably. She must be worried out of her mind" said Sonny with a small smile.

"So you two are on track again" said Jason.

"Things between Carly and I are surprisingly smooth"

"That's a change" said Jason with a smirk of is own.

"Yes, it is. Forget it, this guy isn't coming. This was probably just him messing with our minds" said Sonny.

'Easy for him to say. He just wants to get home to his wife' thought Jason with a scowl.

Jason cast one last longing glance back towards the docks. If he couldn't be with Courtney, he would at least go home to Meg. She was having a hard enough time without her mother there. The last thing she needed was to be separated from her father as well.

* * *

Sonny and Jason walked into Sonny's penthouse a little after one in the morning. 

"I'll just take Meg and go back across the hall" whispered Jason to Sonny.

"Alright man. Try to get some rest" said Sonny. "Even if it's in the rocking chair in Meg's room" he said with an all-knowing smile.

"Got it" said a very tired Jason.

Jason had barely put a foot on the stairs when an ear piercing shriek ripped through the penthouse.

* * *

A/N: What have I done now? Uh-oh, review to find out. You guys got skimpy with the reviews so I'm not updating until I get 15. Some of you are chosing not to review, and that makes me put on my angry eyes. Unfortunetly, I don't know how to make an angry eyes smiley on anything other than AIM so pertend like you can see my angry eyes! 


	7. As Lucky Would Have It

A/N: I got my 15 reviews, although not completely. I got 14 reviews and a note from one person on the bottom of their story because they had computer issues and couldn't leave a review (perfectly understandable). But it was like pulling teeth to get the 15 reviews and I noticed that a lot of people just stopped reviewing altogether. What is this guys?So, myangry eyes are still on. That also kinda worrys me. Do people not really like the story? I need a little reassurance here people. And this time, I am definitely not updating until I get my 15 reviews, hopefully with a little oomph. I don't care if I wait 3 months for oomph! ERRR! And now on to thanking the 15 nice people who actually care or were that desperate to shut me up that they left a review.

SuzieQ8487- I'm glad that you've been forgetting that Meg really isin't their daughter. That's exactly what I want my readers to think!

journeyfan01- I'm glad you're liking it! Keep reading!

kaleymc- I hope this was a quick enough update for you this time! It was less then a week, does that count? Lol.

luvthemorgans- You're not one of the ones that I worry about when it comes to steady reviews! Don't worry. And no offense or anything, but it's kinda weird that you like leaving reviews more then getting them! You're so silly! Lol!

Elvira- I am so sorry that I dissapointed you. I hope I never do that again! I'm glad you liked this chapter better though, and I'm glad you kept reading anyway!

middiegurl08- I've been watching all the old Journey clips online lately and it does make me kinda wanna rub it in Sonny's face. He can be quite the nutjob!

SVUAngel- Dun dun dun! I love me some cliffhangers! Hope you were able to handle the suspense.

ImJustKidding89- I'm glad you're lovin it! And welcome to the story, or if you've been reading and just not feeding, welcome to the review thank you section! Keep up the excellent reviews, I sure do love them!

Cait- Aww, cheer up! They'll be reunited soon...maybe. Hahaha (evil laugh)

emmalee05- Thanks for the reviews from both chapters! You may be on to something with your chapter 6 review, keep reading to find out.

britchic- Glad you love it! I look foward to a "decent review" next time!

tydavislover- I'm glad you're liking it. Keep reading to find out more!

Alexa- I'm so glad that you are so into it. It means a lot to me. Keep reading and reviewing!

Seth Cohen's Girlfriend- I got your note on the bottom of your story _Love or Loyalty_ which everyone should go read right now (well, after you read and review this chapter at least). I'm glad you're liking it and I hope you fix your computer glitches soon!

sexyt- Have fun wherever you are going! I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you find time to read this one when you get back.

**

* * *

Chapter 7- As Lucky Would Have It**

Jason raced up the stairs quicker than imaginable.

"Carly!" he called, fear racing through him as Sonny ran past him, looking for his wife.

"Oh my god. Jason, come quick" yelled Sonny from the spare bedroom.

Jason ran in to see Carly out cold on the floor, a trickle of blood running down her forehead. Sonny was standing over her, cradling her body in his arms as he tried to revive her. As much as Jason loved Carly, she wasn't his main concern. He stepped over her and Sonny and his heart broke. The occupant of the room was gone. The cradle holding Meg was empty.

"Sonny, Meg's gone" said Jason, trying once again to hold back his tears. "The meeting was a fake tonight. It was meant to get us out of the house so that they could take Meg"

"Meg?" questioned Carly as she began to come to.

"Thank god. Carly, are you ok?" asked Sonny.

"I think so" she said softly as she put one hand to her head.

"Did you see who took her?" asked Sonny as Jason kneeled down beside her.

"I couldn't see his face. I'm so sorry Jason. I tried to fight the guy off, but he must have knocked me out" said Carly as the tears ran down her face.

"Hey, it's ok. I don't blame you" said Jason in an attempt to comfort her.

"Come on, I want to take you to the hospital" said Sonny.

"What about Mikey and Morgan?" asked Carly.

Before anything else was said, Jason darted from the room. He returned moments later with a sleepy Morgan in his arms.

"Where's Michael?" asked Carly as she became hysterical.

"He's fine. He's still asleep though. Morgan, however, was awake, so I figured you would want to see him" said Jason as he handed her the baby.

She and Sonny cuddled the baby to themselves and Jason watched Sonny jealously. His wife and child were kidnapped by some psychopath somewhere.

"I'm going to take Carly to GH now" started Sonny.

"I'll stay with the boys" said Jason, finishing Sonny's sentence for him.

"Thanks man" said Sonny as he helped Carly stand up. "We'll find them both" said Sonny softly in Jason's ear and Jason could only muster up a weak half of a smile.

"I hope so" he said as Carly handed him Morgan.

"We will" she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Feel better" said Jason.

"Thanks" she said, her hand absentmindedly flying up to the gash on her head.

* * *

Jason walked down to the living room and sat with Morgan on the couch. He looked at the little baby and smiled in spite of himself. Morgan and Michael always brought smiles to his face. He just wished he had Meg there to complete the perfect picture. And having Courtney with him wouldn't hurt either. Jason had only been sitting with Morgan for a few minutes, desperately trying to get the baby back to sleep, when Michael came running down the stairs. 

"Uncle Jason! Where's dad? Where's mom?" he asked in a panic.

"Hey, come here, its ok. Calm down" he said, motioning over to the couch where the little boy joined him, a look of terror on his face at waking up with his parents gone in the middle of the night. "Mom and Dad needed to go out for a little bit"

"Are they ok?" he asked.

"They're ok" he soothed.

"So you're going to stay with me?" asked Michael.

"Yes, until Mom and Dad come home. Ok?" he asked.

"Ok" said Michael.

"How bout we all go back up to bed?" asked Jason to the two little boys.

Morgan gave him a little smile and then shook his head no before he started saying the word.

"With a mother like Carly, I should have figured one of your first words would be 'no'" mumbled Jason.

"I think Morgan speaks for us both" said Michael with a cocky grin similar to Sonny's.

"Alright" said Jason, not having the heart to fight with them. "Let's just watch TV" he said as he flipped it on.

"Hey Uncle Jason?" asked Michael.

"Yeah Buddy?"

"Where's Meg?" he asked, a confused look on his face.

'I wish I knew' Jason thought. "She's somewhere safe" said Jason, praying that he wasn't making himself a liar.

* * *

Courtney awoke from her not so peaceful sleep to the sound of the door opening. She immediately jumped up and was surprised to find some of the usual guards bringing in some baby things. Courtney's heart caught in her chest. She knew what that meant. They had gotten Meg. Sure enough, her captor soon walked in to the room, Meg screaming her head off in his arms. 

"Hello Mrs. Morgan. I have a rather loud surprise for you" said the man with a smirk.

"Give me my baby" she snapped, snatching Meg from his arms.

Meg calmed down almost immediately as Courtney held her close to herself.

"You're a sick freak, you know that?" she asked.

"Courtney, Courtney, Courtney. Don't bite the hand that feeds" taunted the man.

"How'd you get her?" asked Courtney. "Hmm? Who'd you have to hurt?"

"Just your little sister-in-law"

"What the hell did you do to Carly?" asked Courtney in fear.

"It's just a little bump on the head, I wouldn't worry" sneered the man. "I don't know why you're so bitter" he said with a sarcastic smile. "I think I've been treating you rather well" said the man.

"Treating me well would be releasing me and my baby" she bit back.

"Not until your precious husband gives me what I want" said her captor. "It's late. You should get some sleep. Sweet dreams" he scorned as he left her and Meg alone again, a single tear slipping down Courtney's face.

Courtney adjusted Meg in her arms, looking down at her baby.

"It's ok Meg" she soothed. "Come on, let's go to sleep" she said, bending over the crib that had been brought into the room and putting Meg inside.

She pushed the crib closer to the bed and made sure that she could see Meg at all times and that Meg could see her. Courtney lied down in the bed and let her thoughts immediately wander over to Jason, as usual. She was sure that he was wreck by now. His wife and daughter missing would certainly be taking its toll on him. She wished that there was some way that she could let him know that she was ok. She wished that there was someway that he could just find her and Meg.

* * *

Sonny and Carly came back from the hospital at around 3 in the morning. Carly didn't need stitches or anything, and the bleeding was stopped rather easily. She would just have a little cut on her head for a few days. As they walked into the penthouse, they couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of them. Jason was curled up on the couch with Michael and Morgan, the three fast asleep as the TV blared on. Their smiles faded though when Jason suddenly woke up with a gasp. They knew what he was dreaming of. He was dreaming of having a missing wife and child. 

"Hey, its ok man" said Sonny as he went over to Jason on the couch.

Jason rubbed his face with his hands and took a deep breath, followed by a sigh.

"How do you feel Carly?" he asked.

"I'm fine" she answered in a whisper as to not wake the children.

"That's good" said Jason, looking at the two kids asleep on top of him.

"We better put these two in their beds" said Sonny, leaning over and taking a still sleeping Morgan in his arms.

Jason stood up and picked up Michael. The two carried the boys up the stairs and put them in their respective beds before heading back downstairs where Carly was waiting for them on the couch.

"You ok?" she asked Jason, getting up to give him a hug.

"I don't know" he answered truthfully. "I just want to find them both and make whoever took them pay"

"We will" said Sonny. "For now, go get some sleep. You're going to need it"

"I'll try" said Jason as he left the Corinthos penthouse and headed to his own.

* * *

But as hard as Jason tried, sleep didn't come until the early hours of the morning. Jason was barely asleep for two hours when he was startled awake by a crass knocking on the front door. Stumbling out of bed, Jason stole a glance at the clock to see that it was hardly 7 o'clock. Pulling on a pair of jeans over the boxers he had slept in, he walked down to the door and opened it without looking at who was on the other side. 

"Lucky?" he asked in confusion.

"Jason" he said with a little nod at the man in front of him. "Is Courtney here?" he asked.

"She's out" said Jason.

"Out?" questioned Lucky. "At 7 in the morning?"

"Yup" said Jason, unable to say more. He couldn't lie, and as long as he didn't give away the whole truth, he was ok.

"Jason, what's going on? Where's Courtney?" asked Lucky. But Jason didn't answer him. "Alright, fine. Where's Meg? I need to check up on her, make sure she's ok. I've had pressure from Mac about finding the baby's mother soon. He's not happy that this little girl is staying with a mobster"

"Meg's out too" said Jason.

"She's with Courtney?" questioned a confused Lucky who once again, received only a glare. "Did you and Courtney get into a fight? Did she leave you and take the baby?"

"Nope, no fight. Bye Lucky" said Jason as he closed the door on Lucky's face.

Lucky was about to leave when he saw Sonny Corinthos come out of his penthouse. The man strode purposefully to Jason's door and knocked. Lucky hid around the corner, carefully listening in.

* * *

Jason rubbed his face with his hands as he heard the knock on the door again. He didn't think he could handle dealing with Lucky right now. If Lucky found out Courtney and Meg were missing, it would be big trouble. The police would get involved and screw everything up. Plus, Meg would be taken from them without a doubt. Jason just needed to handle things on his own. 

"Jase, open up" called Sonny from the other side of the door.

Realizing that it was his best friend and not the cop, Jason got up and answered the door, glad to see Sonny.

"I got a call from the kidnappers" said Sonny once Jason answered.

"Did they say anything about Meg's disappearance, or just Courtney's?" questioned Jason.

"Meg and Courtney were kidnapped?" asked Lucky in disbelief as he rounded the corner, coming face to face with the two mobsters.

"What the hell are you doing here Lucky?" asked Sonny.

"I came to check on Meg. Because if anything happens to that little girl, my ass is on the line. And now I find out that she's been kidnapped!" yelled Lucky.

"Lucky, you need to keep your mouth shut and stay out of this" warned Sonny.

"I'm an officer of the law. It's my duty to alert the precinct and get officers looking for Meg and Courtney. I knew it. I knew it was a bad idea to let Meg come live with you. I mean, Courtney's fine, but you're a mobster. Anyone who touches you gets kidnapped, or hurt, or even killed. It's your fault that both Courtney and Meg's lives are on the line" sneered Lucky.

Jason snapped. He grabbed Lucky and threw him against the wall, holding him there by the neck.

"Jason, stop, come on, let him down!" yelled Sonny as he tried to get in the middle of the two men. "Jason, come on. Easy does it. There you go" said Sonny as he tried to pry Jason off of Lucky.

Jason released Lucky and he started gasping for air, massaging his sore neck. Jason glared at him, as if warning him that he would snap again at any moment.

"Jason, go inside. Go inside and wait. I'll be in there in a few minutes" said Sonny as Jason walked back into the penthouse, still angrily glaring at Lucky.

"I should really press charges you know" said Lucky once Jason was inside.

"Look, you're Luke's son, and I respect that. I respect you for that. But there is no way in hell that you can come into my home and into Jason's home and threaten him like that. There is no way that you can belittle him, and say what you said. Now, here's the thing Lucky. You will be quiet about Meg and Courtney's little 'disappearance'. Got it?"

"Are you threatening me Sonny? I'm a cop, remember?" spat Lucky.

"Lucky, go home to Liz. For all you know, Courtney and Meg are home safe with Jason. No one else will find out about this, and no one will know that you were here. Do we have an understanding?" asked Sonny.

"But-"

"Remember. Only because you're Luke's son. Do we have an understanding?" asked Sonny one more time.

"Fine" said Lucky, massaging his neck a little more as he stalked off, his eyes narrow and staring at the door to Jason's penthouse.

* * *

Sonny sighed and walked into the Morgan penthouse, knowing that he needed to keep his anger under control. He wanted to yell at Jason for being stupid and attacking a cop, but he understood why he would do it. Plus, if he was Jason, he definitely would have done the same thing. His wife and child were missing, and Sonny was going to do everything in his power to help his best friend and bring his family home. 

"Jase?" questioned Sonny as he walked into the empty penthouse.

"Coming" he said as he tore down the steps, a shirt covering his once bare chest.

"What happened?" asked Sonny, referring to the incident with Lucky.

"He came here, demanding to see Meg and Courtney. I couldn't lie to him, but I told him that they weren't here. And then, you saw the rest. He hid until he heard us talking. Sonny, we can't let the cops get involved. They'll screw it all up, and then they'll take Meg away from us" said Jason. "I need to focus on getting my wife and daughter back for good".

"And we will. Don't worry about Lucky. I took care of it. He won't go blabbing to anyone about the kidnapping."

"Good" said Jason. "Now you said the kidnapper called you?"

"Yeah. We were right about last night being a distraction for him to take Meg. He wants to set up another meeting to negotiate their release tonight at midnight again"

"Does he think we're stupid?" asked Jason.

"No, he thinks we're desperate. Which is true" said Sonny.

"We can't go" said Jason.

"What do you mean?"

"What if it's just another trap? What if he goes for Carly or the boys this time?"

"We'll have extra protection put on them. We have to go to this meeting. Unfortunately, he's the one with the bargaining chips. We stand to lose a lot more than he does, and he knows that. So, we need to go to this meeting and do everything we can to get Courtney and Meg back" said Sonny.

"Alright, tonight at midnight" said Jason with a sigh.

"It'll be ok" said Sonny.

Jason just sighed again and shrugged his shoulders, knowing that it in fact wouldn't be ok.

* * *

A/N: I personally love the next chapter, and I find the one I just posted a little boring. So, to get to that one, remember to review. (Refer to above note) 

Also, I don't know if everyone does this, but read what I write to everyone. The individual comments are important, even if they're not to you. Sometimes I give away valuable information in them, or I suggest a good Journey story to read that you may not have found yet, like I did in this chapter.


	8. The Ultimate Sacrifice

A/N: Hey y'all. Here's your update. Again, I'm not really feeling the love with this story. I need some reassurance here people!

emmalee05- I love Jason's protective side too. And I love to write it. I'm glad you liked the chapter!

journeyfan01- Sorry, it only counts as one, lol! But I'm glad you're liking it so much that you want to review twice!

kaleymc- Thank you! You were the first one to catch the shirtless Jason thing. GH just doesn't have him shirtless enough, so I took matters into my own hand. You're welcome. Lol, j/k.

Elvira- You have finals now? Did you take summer classes or something? Anyway, I'm glad I was able to brighten up your day.

britchic- THat was more than a decent review. That was a fantastic review. I'm so glad you like it, and yes, Lucky will have a badside in this story.

CrazyJay- Thank you for the great review. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much. I'm thrilled that you think I'm doing good with the Jason portrayl.

Ana- I feel obligated to let you know this- my story will have many more depressing chapters. I write very angsty stories. I'm sorry that I faked you out with the fluff in the begining, but hopefully you like the angst as well.

ImJustKidding89- You are special! I'm glad you love the story, and I really appreciate your reviews.

anon14- I know that life gets busy, it's understandable. But you are a pretty decent reviewer, so don't feel too bad.

sexyt- I'm honored that you decided to spend your few seconds on little 'ole me. I'm glad that you like it, and I'm glad you understand my portrayl of Lucky.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- Yay! I am so glad that you can review again! This calls for celebration. I love reading your reviews!

AllHart- Glad you like it! Keep reading and reviewing to find out how they get back COurtney and Meg!

middiegurl08- I'm glad you didn't think the chapter was boring. And I'm glad that you love it. So, here is the chapter that you were dying to read.

Nell- Wow, your first review ever? I feel extremely honored. I'm glad you like it so much!

tydavislover- I'm glad that you didn't think it was boring either. That's a yay!

luvthemorgans- Perfect timing! I was about to post the chapter but then my sister wanted to watch a movie so I postponed it. And when I came back, I had your review. So you just made it on to the chapter. Try not to get grounded anymore, I miss your reviews!

**

* * *

Chapter 8- The Ultimate Sacrifice**

Midnight had once again come, and Jason was once again finding himself waiting desperately on the docks with hopes of seeing his family again. He couldn't help but think that this was all just a trap. There was so much at stake here. So much to lose. There was everything to lose.

Footsteps echoed throughout the docks and Jason's head shot up, looking at the man who was approaching. Sonny took a step forward as he and Jason glared at the man. The two didn't recognize him. He was a man who they had never met before, and who they had never heard of either.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Sonny.

"Mr. Corinthos, Mr. Morgan, I am so glad you made it to my little party"

"Who the hell are you?" Sonny repeated.

"My name is of little importance right now. Let's just talk business. I move whatever I want through your territory, Mr. Morgan here gets his wife and that little baby back, completely unharmed. If not, I make them suffer, and then I kill them. The choice is yours" said the man. "I don't want you thinking I'm as dumb as some of the other idiots in your past. I know what works with you two and I know what doesn't. I wasn't stupid enough to do something like contaminate one of your shipments. That doesn't do anything but alert you to my presence. Now, you have no idea of who I am, and I have the right bargaining chips. And I am not afraid to kill them. I would enjoy it actually. So watch your step" said the man.

"Give us a second" said Sonny as he considered the man's speech.

Pulling Jason aside, the two bent down in conversation as the man watched with an amused smile. He twirled the gun that he had in his hand around his fingers, a gleeful look still plastered on his face. Finally, the two grave men broke apart and faced the man again, stern looks on their faces.

"You don't have to do this Jason" said Sonny softly.

"Yes, I do" answered Jason. "We need more time to think" said Jason to the man. "We need time to plan"

"Understandable. You have 24 hours, and then the blonde dies. If I don't get an answer after 48 hours, the little girl is dead. Do we have an understanding?" asked the man.

"Not acceptable" said Jason.

"Oh really, and what do you suggest?" asked the man as his lip curled into a sneer.

"You let them both go. And take me instead" said Jason as he looked the man right in the eye.

"And so the tables turn…" said the man with a smile. "Alright, I can do that. Your sister and the baby will be returned here in 15 minutes. But after 24 hours Mr. Corinthos, your best friend is dead" he said before motioning to a bunch of guards that appeared from behind him.

Jason took a deep breath and then walked over to them, and stood still and allowed one of the men to clock him over the head with the butt of his gun. Sonny watched as his friend sacrificed himself. He watched Jason fall to the floor unconscious. Marco, who had been hiding in the shadows, grabbed Sonny and pulled him away before he could do something stupid. Sonny tried to fight him to help his friend, but the men just picked up Jason and threw him in the trunk of one of their cars, speeding off into the night.

Sonny gave an aggravated sigh. He hadn't wanted that. He hadn't wanted his best friend and most trusted employee sacrificing himself. But it was important to get Meg and Courtney back. Jason could handle himself as a captive. But the idea of his sister and niece in captivity tortured Sonny. He knew that they must be petrified. Now, he just needed to wait at the docks for the man to bring him back his family. And then, he could get to work on finding out who it was that was causing them so much trouble and beat them before a full out mob war began.

* * *

Jason couldn't see very clearly as he was lifted up. His arms were twisted awkwardly behind his back as two big burly guards held him up. Another guard walked over to him and backhanded him across the face. Jason felt his cheekbone sting with the pain but he refused to cry out. He felt a fist connect with his stomach, and then another with the side of his head. His chest was beaten on like a drum by the man's heavy fists, and Jason could feel his ribs buckling as they took the hits. The man moved to his face, hitting him with such force in the nose that it began to bleed profusely and Jason wondered if it was broken. His face received more hits and Jason was moaning and groaning as the beating continued. Hit after hit connected with his body, and he felt himself start to break. The pain was intense, and it felt like he wasn't even connected to himself anymore. He was like an outsider looking in. But every blow he felt and every smack stung. Finally, the men dropped his arms and he fell to the ground, his knees buckling and his legs unable to support himself. His body landed on the ground with a thud and the men stood back with sickly smiles on their faces to admire their handiwork. They each gave a few good hard kicks to his broken and crumbled body on the floor, their shoes scraping through his thin t-shirt, decorating his previously unharmed back with some wounds of its own. Finally, they left the room, leaving Jason to moan and groan on the floor. 

The man from the docks walked back in and gave Jason a mock sympathetic smile.

"That looks like it hurts" he said.

"Have Courtney and Meg been released?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"See, there's a funny thing about that. I figured, why bother myself with that when I can have three hostages for myself. After all, three is better then two. Have a nice night Mr. Morgan" he sneered as Jason seared angrily on the floor, wishing that he was strong enough to lunge at the man. "Oh, and one more thing" said the man as he walked back over to Jason. Kneeling down on the floor, he pulled back his arm and punched Jason hard on the side of the head. The enforcer's head bent back with the force, and he felt the world around him go black as he slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

"Where are they? It's been twenty minutes already" growled Sonny as he looked down at his watch for the umpteenth time. 

"I dunno Boss" said Marco, unsure of what else to say to calm down Sonny.

Marco took a deep breath. He didn't like this. He didn't like that Jason had just sacrificed himself. He couldn't believe that Sonny had allowed it. This was just dumb. This man was completely untrustworthy. It wasn't guaranteed that he would release Courtney and Meg anyway. He looked at Sonny who was staring at the water with dark eyes.

_Flashback_

"_Sonny, we can't just give into this guy like this. If we do, it'll make us open for attack. It'll make us seem vulnerable. And we can't afford that" hissed Jason as the two men stood on the docks, talking about what the man had just offered them in exchange for Courtney and Meg._

"_So what do you suggest, we let him kill Courtney and Meg?" asked Sonny with a sneer of his own._

_Jason's eyes looked pained, and his chest constricted painfully. He didn't want to even think about that. Swallowing and taking a deep breath, he spoke again._

"_We need to find out who he is, get the necessary information, and then strike back" said Jason._

"_How do we know he won't hurt them?" asked Sonny._

"_Because they won't be his prisoners anymore" said Jason as he prepared himself to make a bold but necessary move._

"_What are you talking about?" asked Sonny, not in the mood for games, especially from a man who never played them anyway._

"_We make a trade. Me for them" said Jason, his blue eyes now shining with determination._

"_Are you crazy! No way! For starters, we don't know if this guy will actually return them to us. Second of all, I need you. I need your help with finding out who this guy is"_

"_You can do that without me. You have a pretty confident staff. And what choice do we have, we need to trust that this guy won't violate the rules. He knows that he's opening himself up for heavy retaliation if he goes against his word and doesn't return them. And not just from us. From other associations as well. From other families."_

"_I won't let this happen" said Sonny._

"_Sonny, I am just an employee. I'm disposable. And I signed on to protect you and your family. And Courtney and Meg are your family"_

"_Yeah, but so are you. You are my best friend, and my brother-in-law. You are more than just an employee and you know that. I need you"_

"_You can do this without me. I need to make sure that Courtney and Meg are ok. They mean the world to me. And if, god forbid, something happens to them, I won't be able to live with myself. And I wont have any reason to live anyway" said Jason._

"_Are you sure about this?" asked Sonny, seriously doubting the whole situation._

"_I'm sure" said Jason as they broke out of their little huddle._

_End Flashback_

Sonny glanced at his watch once more before looking up at the sound of tires screeching. The black car slowed to a stop and Sonny waited eagerly to see his sister and niece's face again. The window rolled down and a hand reached out, brandishing a gun. Marco reacted, pulling Sonny down to the ground as gunshots rang out. After what felt like hours but was only seconds, the bullets stopped flying and the car sped off into the night. Marco got off of Sonny and was glad to see that both he and his boss were unharmed. Sonny angrily got up, cursing as he did, flinging his fists into the air around him.

"The son of a bitch double fucking crossed me!" he yelled into the night.

* * *

Courtney sat on the bed with Meg in her arms. The little girl had just finished a bottle and was getting sleepy. Her eyes were closing and her breathing was getting heavier. As Courtney looked down at the little girl, she thought back to the first night that she and Jason had Meg. How they had fed her together. She missed Jason terribly, and she wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms. Courtney cuddled Meg to her body as she got up from the bed. Placing the bottle down on the table, she walked over to the crib and placed the slumbering baby inside. Leaning against the bars of it, she stared at Meg for a bit. Brushing the soft blonde curls off of her daughter's forehead, she sat back down on the bed, ready to just put her head in her hands and cry. But at that point, the door of the room was jerked open. Standing up, Courtney walked over to Meg's crib, ready to defend her from whoever was there. But before Courtney could bend down to pick up her daughter, two guards walked into the room dragging a lifeless body behind them. Courtney gasped when she saw just whose lifeless body it was. It was her husband's. Leaving Meg in the crib, she ran over to Jason as the guards dropped him, locking the door behind them. She cradled his body in her arms, tears prickling at her eyes and then falling freely down her cheeks as she looked at the man before her. He looked so bruised and broken, and she knew that she needed to wake him up immediately. He could have a head injury. Courtney tried to shake him awake lightly, but that didn't work, and she dared not try harder for fear of hurting him. She called his name repeatedly, but that was useless too. Bending down her head, she began to kiss him all over to wake him. She planted the kisses all over his body but when she got to his lips, she cherished the resulting sweet kiss. Jason woke up as he felt the kiss on his lips, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw her there before him. 

"Thank god you're awake" she exclaimed.

"Courtney" he whispered before pulling her into a tight hug, not caring how painful it was. He needed to hold her in his arms. He needed to have her there with him.

"I can't believe they took you too" she said softly as she began to gingerly finger some of the wounds on his face. "And on top of that, they beat you" she said as tears sprung to her eyes again.

"Shh, it's ok" he soothed. "It's not that bad. And they didn't take me" he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I made a deal with the kidnapper. You and Meg were supposed to be released and he would get me in return"

"Jason, why would you do that?" she exclaimed.

"I need to do whatever I can to save my family" he stressed.

"And you being taken and beaten within an inch of your life is hardly saving us" she said.

"He was supposed to let you go" said Jason bitterly.

"Let's not think about this anymore. Let's trust Sonny to find us and save us. In the meantime, we need to get you cleaned up and stop some of this bleeding" she said as she gave his body a once over. "Can you make it to the bed?" she asked as she started to help him up.

"I think so" he answered with a wince as he got up.

She led him over to the bed and he collapsed on to it, the pain wracking his body. Courtney gave him a sensual kiss before getting up and going into one of the rooms off of the main room. While she was gone, Jason turned his head to look at Meg while she slept.

"Hey beautiful. I missed you" he whispered as he looked at her.

Meg rolled over in her sleep, her thumb finding its way to her mouth. The mouth opened and Jason saw a flash of her little pink tongue before the thumb went in the hole as she sucked on the finger.

Courtney emerged and walked into the other room for a second before returning to the bed, ice, towels, and a large first aid kit in hand. She sighed as she looked at him again before she began to undress him.

She tried to pull the now raggedy t-shirt off of him, but he cried out in pain as she did and she couldn't bear the idea of him being in so much pain that he actually cried out. Instead, she tried to rip at the material, hoping to get it off of his chest that way. Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough. Jason reached up his hands and gently removed hers from the shirt. Setting his jaw and gritting his teeth, he pulled on the material, causing it to rip and making it easier for Courtney to remove it from his body. She drew in shallow breaths as she looked at his chest. Sighing, she made her way to his jeans, fingering the waistband a bit before undoing the button and pulling down the fly. It was familiar for her, sliding off his jeans, but she usually did it in happier situations. Getting up, she walked over to the foot of the bed and removed his shoes before seizing the ends of the jeans. Pulling, the denim material slid off his legs. She folded them up and put them on the chair next to her. She yanked off his socks and put them on the chair as well. Now, he was lying there in just his boxers, giving her a clear view of his body. He looked like hell, and for once, Courtney didn't notice his perfect shape, but rather the painful looking wounds and abrasions that covered him. Taking in another sharp breath, she started to work at the task at hand. Neither said anything as she soothed his skin, applied pressure to the big wounds to stop the bleeding, wrapped bandages around him, held ice on his aches and bruises, and just planted little kisses on each mark, welt, laceration, and wound on his body. Once she finished with the front side of him, she looked at all of the gauze that covered his body. Where there wasn't gauze, there were deep purpling bruises. His chest was completely covered in them, as was his face. His legs had received some serious scrapes from when he was dragged around on the hard concrete floors, but other than that, the jeans had done a pretty good job of protecting him. Taking a deep breath, he flipped on to his stomach so that she could tend to the wounds on his back and take care of his badly bruised arms. He cocked his head to the side so that he could watch her instead of a pillow as she worked. The couple was still silent as she cleaned out the marks that the men's shoes had left and then put bandages on them. Once she was done with both that and his arms, he flipped back over on to his back and stared at her. He reached up one sore arm and brushed back the hair that had fallen in front of his face, feeling the golden silk between his fingertips. She was perched on the side of his bed, staring into his sullen blue eyes. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears. He pulled her over to him so that she was lying down on the bed next to him and held her tightly to him, trying to sooth her and convince her that he was ok as she buried her head into his broken chest, looking desperately for the comfort that she always found there in his arms. He smoothed her hair down over her back, leaning his head down to kiss her bare shoulder.

"I'm ok" he assured her.

"How can you be ok Jason?" she asked, fingering a particularly large gash on the side of his head. "This guy made you into his own personal punching bag and you shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. It's all my fault" she sobbed.

"You're kidding, right? How can you ever think that this is your fault" asked Jason with a smile at her.

"Because it is. You sacrificed yourself for me" she answered.

"No it's not. You were only kidnapped in the first place because of my business" said Jason. "And my inability to protect you, and our daughter, once again"

"You protect us" said Courtney determinedly as she looked into his eyes, seeing the pained expression that he held. "You're here with us now, right? And I know that no one will hurt us as long as you're here" she said as she snuggled deeper into his warm hold. "Let's not play the blame game"

"Alright" he said with a sigh. "Get some sleep" he whispered.

"You too" she answered.

"Nah, I'm going to stay up. You know, keep guard" he answered.

"Jason, they won't hurt me or Meg, believe me. They have never laid a finger on either of us"

"Yeah, but now that I'm in captivity, they may be a little less hesitant to"

"You need sleep. Especially because of your injuries"

"I am fine. Get some sleep, please. I want to just watch you tonight. And just hold you. I love you so much" he said as he buried his face into her hair.

"I love you too" she whispered as she fell into the deepest and most comfortable sleep she had gotten since this whole kidnapping mess had started.

* * *

A/N: New chapter will be up within a week or so, maybe a little longer or a little shorter. In the meantime, everyone go read my new story- Tangled Secrets. It's Jesse/Maxie with some Journey. 'Cause Maxie's Courtney and Sonny's sister in my story! Go read it, it's on this site, but review here first! 


	9. Escape Artists

A/N: Let's talk suckage people. I am getting very few reviews on this story compared to every other story I have. That's a problem. I haven't written for this story in weeks, and I only have up until chapter 13 written so it could be months until I update. I am being completely serious when I say that I am not updating until I get _over_ 15 reviews. I wasn't going to update this until I got it, but then I realized it was a slow time for reviews for all my stories, and I probably just posted at a bad time and it kinda got lost. So, here's an update. But I am putting my foot down.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I am glad you like them both! Yes,Jason can be an idiot. But he just wasn't thinking totally clearly.

middiegurl08- I'm glad you loved it. There was a lot of love in that review, literally!

LoLo28- Jason is the self-sacrificing type. He puts a lot of emphasis on family!

kaleymc- If you couldn't tell, I try to undress this guy as much as humanly possible. I think someone should write an AU story where he's part of a nudist colony, hmmm... j/k, lol!

emmalee05- You got your wish. Here's a longer chapter (I think). Are my chapter's too short? They're generally 4 pages on Word, but I'm never sure what's considered long and short.

Elvira- I do love the angst! And you know it. Yay! Someone actually remembers my love for it. Torturing the characters is just fun. What can I say, I'm a sadist.

anon14- Glad you're liking it all!

ImJustKidding89- Revenge will come in due time! In the meantime, keep reading!

luvthemorgans- Boys suck. I hope you worked out your troubles, but believe me, I'm going through some of my own. Have I mentioned that boys suck? Anyway, I feel honored that you would review even when grounded, and even at odd hours of the late night/early morning. And I've been watching some old stuff online and what not and Jason used to be a multifaceted character with real emotions, before they destroyed him. Steve used to be an incredible actor, and now he just seems bored all the time. (Can't blame him, the story lines suck). So I'm using the old Jason in my story!And BTW, to quote Dirty Dancing, _when I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong_. You win with the loves!

SuzieQ8487- You make me laugh. Glad you got to catch up. Thank god someone thought my title last chapter was clever! I love play on words and puns!

sexyt- There is always more than meets the eye, remember that!

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* * *

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**Chapter 9- Escape Artists**

Courtney awoke the next morning a bit lazily, keeping her eyes closed as she stretched out. She had gotten a peaceful night's sleep, not once disturbed by Meg's cries. Courtney's eyes flew open as she began to panic. Why hadn't she been awoken by the sounds of her daughter's cries? She sat up in bed and quickly looked around, her heart falling back into place as she found her daughter, remembering the events of the night before. Meg was cuddled in Jason's arms as he sat in the rocking chair, feeding her the morning bottle. Courtney brushed her hair behind her ear before getting up and walking over to the two of them. As soon as Jason heard the rustling of her getting out of the bed, he looked up at her and smiled. She walked over to the two of them and perched herself on the armrest of the chair, looking down at her baby and husband. She planted a sweet kiss on his lips before inspecting the bruises and cuts on his face and bare chest. They had already browned and she knew that they would continue to yellow for the next few days to come before disappearing all together. Running her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, she let out a deep sigh before trying to begin the necessary conversation.

"We need to get out of here" said Jason, beginning the conversation she had been trying to initiate.

"Yes, we do. But how?" she asked.

"I dunno" said Jason. "And dammit, I wish I had the answers!" he exclaimed, causing Meg to whimper in his arms. "Shh, I'm sorry Meggie" he said as he lifted the girl up to his chest and held her in a tighter position so that he could rub her back.

He felt her grab at his shoulder, feeling the tiny fingers on his bare skin. Courtney removed herself from the armrest and went and sat on Jason's lap, putting her weight on the opposite side as Meg. Jason wrapped his arm around her tightly as he held the two people in the world who mattered the most to him as closely as he could, unwilling to let go, afraid that if he did, it would all just be a dream and he'd be alone again.

"I've learned from my mistakes. It's hard to get out from the inside. We need outside intervention. We need Sonny" said Courtney softly.

"So you think it's best if we just sit here and wait to be rescued?"

"I just mean that without communication, we don't know what he's planning. And considering he's the one in the better position with the better resources right now, it's best if we let him handle it instead of risking ruining any fantastic plans" said Courtney.

"Alright" he said.

"Really?" she questioned, surprised that he agreed with her.

"Yeah, I think you're right. We probably would just be interfering with whatever Sonny's planning" said Jason as he gave Courtney a soft kiss on her lips.

"Mmm, I'm going to go shower" she said as she got up and walked into the small bathroom, closing the door as she did.

Jason got up as well and opened the dresser drawers before finding stuff for Meg. He changed her diaper and then dressed her. By the time he was done with that, Courtney was all showered. She emerged from the bathroom in just a towel and proceeded to get dressed right in front of him, leaving him with a moment to marvel at the sight of her naked body before she covered herself up again. Jason took his shower and then put his jeans and raggedy t-shirt back on, finding that he was lacking the changes of clothes that Courtney and Meg had at their disposal. When he came back out into the main room, he found Courtney and Meg sitting on a blanket on the floor, playing with some toys. Crouching down beside them, he played as well, forgetting for a moment that they were being held as bargaining chips, and instead feeling like they were any other family enjoying a quiet moment at home.

But the moment was ruined as the door was slammed open and their kidnapper walked in. Courtney and Jason stood up in a flash with Meg safely tucked in Courtney's arms as she stood behind Jason who was using his body as a shield.

"And how are the Morgan's doing this morning?" he asked with a sneer.

"What the hell do you want?" Jason asked in his cold enforcer voice.

"You forget Mr. Morgan, that you are guests in my house. You need to learn some manners. Maybe Vince and Ray here can teach you some" he said motioning to the two burly guards at his side whose mouths contorted into sick smiles.

"No, please" said Courtney, throwing herself in front of Jason. "Please, haven't you put him through enough" she begged as Jason tried unsuccessfully to pull her back.

"Mrs. Morgan, why don't you calm down a little bit" said the man as he suddenly reached out his arms and grabbed her, pulling both her and Meg close to her body.

Jason lunged at the man but Vince caught him before he could do anything. Jason was still weak from his beating from the night before and Vince was able to easily restrain him, despite his fighting to get to Courtney. Ray grabbed Courtney from the man but the kidnapper held on tightly to Meg. Ray held Courtney with one arm and grabbed on to her hair with his other.

"She's pretty boss" said Ray, looking straight into Jason's furious eyes.

"Yes, she is" the boss agreed as he adjusted the squirming baby in his arms.

"Stop it! Let her and Meg go" Jason demanded. "We had a deal. You need to honor it" he said coldly.

"Deals are overrated" said the man with a laugh as he walked over to Courtney. "She is pretty" he agreed again as he brushed back some of her hair, despite that Courtney pulled sharply and quickly from his touch. "Come on baby, don't you want to be with a real man" said the kidnapper in a terrifying low voice.

"Get the hell away from her!" Jason yelled at the same time that Courtney yelled "get the hell away from me!"

"I don't like to be told what to do" snapped the man as he reared back and hit Courtney hard across the face.

That was the breaking point for Jason. His strength came back to him and he pulled himself from Vince's grasp and lunged at the kidnapper. Vince grabbed him back before he could do anything else and slammed him hard against the wall. Jason groaned as his already bruised body became riddled with more bruises.

"You better hope that Corinthos gives me what I want" sneered the man as he motioned to the guards to release the Morgan family.

Courtney was thrown to the ground, as was Jason; but luckily, the man had enough decency to gently place baby Meg down. Jason immediately crawled over to Meg and took her in his arms before going over to Courtney and taking her in his arms as well.

"Are you ok?" he asked her, burying his head in her hair.

"I'm fine" she said, one hand flying to her cheek.

"Let me see it" he said, pulling her hand back and staring at the bruise that was beginning to form as anger seared within him over the fact that the terrible man had inflicted such physical pain on his wife.

Jason fingered the bruise and sighed before handing Meg to her and walking into the kitchen to get some ice from the freezer. He sat back down on the floor next to them and tenderly put the ice on Courtney's cheek, holding it where he saw the bruise forming.

"That's it. This has gone too far. I'm not waiting for Sonny anymore. I am getting us out of here today" said Jason as he held his wife and daughter in his arms.

* * *

Sonny sighed as he took a deep breath, throwing the file he was handed down hard on the desk, listening as the wooden piece of furniture trembled and rattled. He sat down in the chair and put his head in his hands before getting up to pour himself a drink. He found out just who it was who had his family and he wasn't happy. The man's name was Milo Fredricks. He was an up and coming mobster whose passion was money and nothing else. He didn't believe in family, or love, or having any one of any importance in his life. If it wasn't worth money, he didn't want it. He was ruthless and brutal, and he lived for bloodshed. He was the perfect mobster, and the worst kind of enemy. Sonny knew that his family was in more danger than they could ever imagine. He knew that he needed to get Jason, Courtney, and Meg out of there.

* * *

Jason was thinking the same thing as the wheels in his head started turning. He and Courtney had formulated a plan to get them out of there, and while Jason was hesitant of getting Courtney involved, she assured him that he didn't have much of a choice. Now it was time. They couldn't wait for Sonny anymore. It was now or never. Live or die. And Jason wasn't about to let anyone hurt his family anymore.

Courtney's eyes met Jason's and he nodded at her as she raised her fist to the door, knocking loudly.

"You knocked?" called a guard from the outside of the door.

"Ah, yeah. We have a problem. The toilet's clogged" she said.

"Have your husband fix it" the man called back from through the door.

"We don't have a plunger" she stated matter-of-factually.

"Not my problem lady" said the guard.

"Alright fine. But it's really starting to smell, and the stench is spreading. I suspect it'll come out to the hallway soon" she said.

There was no answer and as she and Jason listened they heard the other guards arguing over who was going to fix it while the other ones got to move to less smelly ground. Finally, the guard returned and yelled through the door that he would bring them a plunger. They heard footsteps and then it got quiet. The guards had cleared out of the hallway. Courtney grabbed Meg tightly in her arms, begging the little girl to keep quiet. Jason stood in position by the door, the heavy chair in his hands, raised above his head.

"Who knew bathroom habits would save out lives?" asked Courtney with a grin that her husband returned with a twinkle in his eyes.

Finally, sounds were heard as the guard returned and unlocked the door, about to walk in with the plunger. As soon as the door opened, Jason slammed the chair down on the man's head, knocking him down to the ground. Jason hit him one more time with the chair and the man fell unconscious. Jason dropped the chair and grabbed the guard's keys and gun, motioning to Courtney to follow him. He slipped the keys onto his belt loop and held the gun tightly in his hand, taking Courtney's hand with his other. The two left the room and found themselves in a dull concrete hallway, which was now completely devoid of guards. Following Jason down the hall, Courtney clutched Meg tightly to her, hoping that the little baby she had grown to love so much would not have to see anything that she shouldn't have to.

Jason stopped short as he saw a guard standing in the adjacent hallway that he and Courtney were about to enter. Pressing her against the wall, he raised one finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. Then, he rounded the corner and approached the guard from behind. Courtney covered Meg's eyes and ears just as a loud 'crack' was heard. Jason appeared again and once again retrieved her hand, leading her down the hallway and over the unconscious guard on the floor. They did this for a while, miraculously being caught by no one. Finally, they made it into what they assumed was the main room of the house. Looking past the sparsely furnished room, they saw a heavily guarded front door. Jason pressed Courtney against the wall once again and motioned for her to cover both her eyes and Meg's. Courtney did as he asked and Jason rounded the corner. This time though, a crack wasn't heard. The sound of a gun was. She felt Jason roughly grab her hand and pull her to the front door. They stepped over the four very bloody guards and Jason used the key's he had taken from the guard to unlock the door. They both got a breath of fresh air as they began to run into the dense woods that surrounded the house.

Jason was half pulling her as they continued to run, never pausing once. They could hear Fredricks' guards perusing them as they continued to run. The guards were gaining on them and Jason was beginning to worry. Courtney was getting tired and he wasn't sure how much longer they would be able to hold up. Seeing a big tree with thick leaves, he motioned up. Courtney's eyes grew wide.

"It's the only way" Jason whispered as he took Meg from her arms.

He helped her up the tree and waited as she got adjusted one of the largest branches. He passed Meg up to her and climbed up as well, making it just in time as the guards closed in on them, all very confused as to where their prisoners had disappeared to.

Jason was holding Meg with one hand covering her mouth just in case she let a little gurgle or coo escape. He had his other arm wrapped around Courtney who was also holding on to Meg in fear that the little baby would fall out of the tree and to her death. Finally, the guards dispersed, leaving the Morgan family in silence.

"We need to make a run for it" Jason whispered.

"Is it safe?" Courtney asked.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her with a cocky smile.

"Always" she answered with a smile of her own.

"Alright, good. Here's the plan. You take Meg and just run like hell. Look there" he said pointing past the trees. "It looks like there's a town. That's your goal. Get there and find a phone. Try not to let anyone see you. Call Sonny. He'll know what to do" said Jason.

"And what about you?" she asked as she put one hand on his face.

Jason leaned into her touch as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. He loved her so much, and he couldn't imagine his life without her. Bending down, he planted a kiss on her lips.

"I'm going to have your back. I need to make sure there are no more guards left here. I need to make sure you and Meg have a safe path to that town"

"Jason, I don't like this" she said.

"Don't worry. I'll meet you there" he said. "Just be careful. For both yourself and Meg" he told her.

"Alright, I love you so much" she said as she tried to stop herself from crying.

"I love you too" he said as he kissed her once more.

He checked that the coast was clear as he hopped down from the tree before holding out his arms to help her and Meg.

"Run" he whispered to her as he gave her one last kiss before kissing Meg as well.

She looked at him sadly before doing as he said and running into the woods. Jason pulled out the gun and started walking through the woods to make sure that they had a safe pathway out.

Courtney ran until her legs were crying out from the pain. But she dared not stop.

"Hello Mrs. Morgan" came Milo Fredricks' sick voice as he stared at her, a gun trained at both her and Meg.

"No" Courtney whispered.

"Your little escape act caused us all some trouble" he said. "Where's your husband?"

"He's dead" she said, hoping that Milo would believe her and leave Jason alone.

"I doubt that" he said. "I would have seen the body"

Jason heard the voices and he maneuvered his body through the woods in an attempt to get behind Milo. Milo was taunting his wife, but Jason knew that he had to control his anger at the moment. He needed to just focus on doing it right and getting them out of harms way. Jason aimed him gun and cocked it, ready to shoot the man.

A single shot rang out and Milo turned around just in time to see his man standing behind Jason Morgan, his gun raised and still smoking. Jason crumbled to the ground as the bullet entered his body, moans and groans wracking him

"JASON!" Courtney cried out as she made a beeline towards her husband.

Milo went to grab at her but he was stopped as a bullet pierced his arm. Looking down, he saw Jason lying on the ground, the blood pouring from him, but the gun still raised and pointed at Milo.

"You bastard" said Milo as he kicked Jason in the face and wretched the gun from his hand.

"Run" Jason mouthed to Courtney.

She was frozen. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay there and save her husband. But he wanted her to run and save her life and the life of her baby. Deciding she needed to do what was in Meg's best interests, she ran like the wind, the baby in her arms, never looking back at Jason's nearly lifeless body that lied on the floor of the woods. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but it was what Jason had demanded of her. Now, all she needed to do was get to the town, get to Sonny, and then save Jason's life. That was, if he would last long enough for her to save him.

* * *

A/N: What did I do? You're not going to know until I get my over 15 reviews.

And also, keep in mind about this kidnapper guy, things are always more complicated than they seem...


	10. Home is Where the Heart is

A/N: Alright guys, you all did much better with the reviews. I updated right when I got 15, but I'm going to wait longer next time. I'm thinking I want like 18 good ones, not just 'great job, update soon'. So get reviewing!

emmalee05- Thanks for the very long review. I absolutely love long reviews! It's awesome that you get excited when I update!

kaleymc- glad I was able to blow you away. Love the Forrest Gump reference, lol.

sexyt- Yay! Another long review. Glad you liked it so much. Figured I would give Jason a little treat there, considering how much I torture the poor guy. I love when I get delusional and think he's a real person, lol.

middiegurl08- It's always good when you can put a reader on the edge of their seat. Let's hope everyone continues to take your advice and they all keep up the reviews!

courtneylovejason- aww, thank you. I'm glad you like it so much as to check everyday for updates!

martha- Loving the adjetives! It's always great when descriptive words are being used!

thastudinurlife- you're welcome, lol. There will actually be some more Carson later on in the story, so hold on! But for now, I hope I can distract you with the Jourtney.

lauraMN- Glad you love it!

SuzieQ8487- Jason is so noble. I hope you don't think I'm crazy with the name Milo. It just popped into my head, and I could not get it out. I know it doesn't exactly fit, but it's like when you get a cheesy song in your head, it won't get out until you sing it on top of your lungs.

tydavislover- Courtney is running! Keep reading and reviewing to find out if Jason is ok.

anon14- aww, that is so sweet. I love the super nice compliments! Glad you like it so much!

Elvira- Tsk tsk tsk. Work is for work, not for fanfiction. Oh, who am I kidding. My parents think I'm writing an english paper right now. No one needs to know, shhh! Lol.

ghgirl15- Glad my teaser's teasing! If you wanna find out about Jason, you gotta keep up the reviews!

ImJustKidding89- If he hit him in the head with the bullet, then that totally would have messed with my story, lol. I would never be able to forgive him. Oops, there I go with the delusions again...

luvthemorgans- You are so demanding Bre, lol. Glad I'm able to help get you through the day. I don't know how you like HS though! Lol. If you want, you can go for me too and I'll just stay home and watch GH and eat all day long. It's the perfect way to gain 300 pounds! Oh, and sorry about the BF.

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**Chapter 10- Home is Where the Heart is**

Sonny sat in the dark limo staring at his sister's sobbing form as she held her baby tightly to her. He had received her call nearly a half an hour after Jason had been shot. She was in a little town that she had managed to make it to and she needed Sonny to pick her up. After learning the name of the town based on the names of all of the little shops that littered the one main street, he had sped over, expecting to find Jason with them. That was when she had explained what had happened, right down to Jason being shot. Now, she was sobbing in his limo, questioning whether or not her husband was alive.

They arrived back at Harborview Towers and Sonny helped Courtney and Meg from the car, half carrying them to the elevator. Courtney had a lost child look in her eyes. She seemed so out of it.

"Are you ok to stay in the penthouse tonight?" he asked her.

"We'll be fine" she pressed. "I'm going to shower and bathe Meg and then we'll come over for dinner" she said softly.

"Ok" said Sonny. "He's fine. He'll be fine. And we will get him home safe" assured Sonny.

"God I hope so" said Courtney with a sigh as she went into her penthouse.

* * *

Jason woke up with a groan as the bright light invaded his eyes. Turning his head, he found that he was lying down on his stomach. He tried to move, but he found that his wrists and ankles were strapped to the gurney that he was lying on. He didn't know what was wrong, but all he could feel was pain. It suddenly all came back to him. 

"Courtney" he whispered. "Meg?" he tried.

"You're awake Morgan" said Milo as he walked over to Jason.

He gave the broken man in front of him a sneer before leaning on the man's bullet wound, pressing hard on it. Jason cried out in pain. He was shaking and sweating from the pain, and he was sure that he had a fever.

"We removed the bullet" continued Milo. "After all, we need to keep you alive to use you as a bargaining chip. But keep in mind Morgan, if your boss continues to piss me off, I will kill you. Don't think that I won't. It was stupid to try to run away. We already killed your wife and daughter. They learned the hard way that you don't cross me" he said in an eerie voice that was barely louder than a whisper. "And you. You shall be punished for thinking you can run from me" said the man as he left the room again before motioning to Vince and Ray.

Jason hardly noticed as the two men unstrapped him and began to pummel his already broken body. All that he could think about was Milo's words. Courtney and Meg were gone. They had been killed, and Jason had nothing left in the world.

* * *

"Hey Sonny" said Courtney as she walked into her brother's penthouse with Meg. 

"Hey" he said softly as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Courtney gave him a half smile as she placed Meg on the floor next to Morgan so that the two kids could play.

"Have you found anything?" she asked Sonny.

"No, not yet. Fredricks cleared out his safe house and moved to another location" said Sonny.

"Moved?" asked Courtney. "What about Jason? He was shot in the back. He's too weak to move" she exclaimed.

"I'm sure he's fine" Sonny assured her, although he wasn't feeling it himself.

"He has to be Sonny" she begged, her eyes filled with tears.

* * *

Once the guard had their fun, they dragged Jason to a small room. It was more like a cell, and was no where near as nice as the room he had shared with Courtney and Meg. That was how Jason knew that Milo meant business. He would most likely kill Jason, even if Sonny did give him the territory that he so craved. Jason's only option was escape, but that hadn't gone so well last time. Plus, he was far too weak to move much anyway. He tried to assure himself that he had been through worse. He tried to tell himself that he would be ok. He tried to convince himself that Courtney and Meg were in a better place. But he couldn't. He couldn't imagine that they had died peaceful deaths when he knew Milo had probably tortured them to death. In that instant, Jason didn't care if he died. Death would be a welcome release from the pain that he was feeling right then and there.

* * *

The rest of the night had been a blur to Courtney. She vaguely remembered Carly trying unsuccessfully to comfort her. And Sonny trying to do the same. But Courtney was beyond comfort. She had finally given up on dinner and brought Meg back across the hall. The little girl seemed happy to be in her own bed again and she promptly fell asleep. But sleep didn't come to Courtney as easily as it did Meg. She spent hours tossing and turning all alone in the big bed, wondering about Jason. She hoped that he was being treated right. With food, and water, and a place to sleep. She hoped that they had taken the bullet out of his back and sewed him up so he was back to new. But she couldn't be sure of anything.

* * *

The next morning, Courtney decided to take Meg and go to breakfast at Kelly's. If anything, she owed her father. Mike had been eager to know where his daughter had been all that time but everyday Sonny had brushed it off as a mother-daughter trip to his island. A necessary bonding time he had called it. Now, Courtney was back and Mike was overjoyed. He couldn't help but notice his daughter's depressed demeanor though. 

"What's wrong pumpkin?" he asked her.

"It's nothing daddy. It's just…Jason"

"What the hell did that loser do to you now?" asked Mike.

"Dad!" Courtney exclaimed. "Don't you ever call Jason a loser again! He's my husband, and I love him. I will not let you disrespect him like that. And he didn't do anything. He's just away on business, and I miss him" she said.

She felt terrible for lying to her own father, but she couldn't let anyone know about the kidnappings. It was Sonny's orders. He didn't want any police involvement and he found it best to keep it all quiet. Lucky walked into the restaurant right at that second and he immediately caught Courtney's eye.

"Can I talk to you a second?" he asked before he added "in private"

"Ah, yeah sure. Daddy, can you watch Meg for a moment?" she asked Mike.

"Sure thing sweetheart" Mike said with a smile as he nodded at her.

* * *

Courtney got up and followed Lucky outside. No one was there and Courtney had to admit that it is was eerily quiet. 

"Thank god you and the baby are ok" Lucky said with a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What do you mean what do I mean? You and Meg were kidnapper, remember?" asked Lucky.

"We weren't kidnapped. We were just…"

"Save it Courtney. I already got Jason and Sonny to admit to it before I was threatened into keeping my mouth shut"

"Look Lucky…"

"I need to take Meg back" said Lucky.

"What!" she demanded. "You're kidding right?"

"Courtney, don't you get it. The life Jason leads puts her in danger and I can't allow that happen again"

"It wont" she said with her eyes narrowing at him.

"How can you be sure of that?" asked Lucky.

"I just can" she said as she turned to walk back into Kelly's.

Lucky grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"Lucky, let go of me!" she shrieked. "Stop it!"

"Courtney, calm down! Let's talk this over as rational adults. Me, you, and Jason!"

"We cant!" said Courtney through teary eyes.

* * *

"Do you think Jason's going to be ok?" asked Carly as she sat on the couch next to her husband. 

Sonny pulled her close, sensing just how scared she was. Truthfully, he was scared too. He was worried that his best friend was badly hurt. And he was sure Fredricks wasn't doing anything to ease his suffering.

"He'll be ok" said Sonny, praying to god that he wasn't making himself a liar.

* * *

"What do you mean we can't!" exclaimed Lucky. 

"Jason was taken too! And he's still in captivity, except with a bullet in his back!" she hissed at Lucky, her voice low but deadly.

"Oh Courtney" said Lucky softly as he released his grip on the blonde.

"Don't oh Courtney me" she snapped. "Pity is the last thing I need right now. At this moment, all I want is for you to go away and leave us alone. Trust me when I say that I can protect my baby. I won't let anyone hurt her" said Courtney as her eyes pleaded with Lucky's.

"Alright" he said. "I am not going to bother you about this right now. But hear me Courtney. Once Jason comes home, all bets are off. I need to think with Meg's best interests at heart, not yours. And if something else happens to that little girl…" warned Lucky.

"Nothing is going to happen. I can promise you that" she said defiantly.

"Alright, now that that's settled, there's something else we need to talk about Courtney" said Lucky with a sigh.

* * *

Jason was sure that he was going delirious. He kept seeing Courtney and Meg before him, urging him to hold on. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw his two blonde angels, there to comfort him, or smile at him, or just tell him that he needed to stay alive. They told him that he needed to fight. Jason wasn't even sure what was going on lately. He seemed to be in a haze. He was sure that he had sustained a nasty infection from the bullet wound and he was also sure that some of the wounds he received from the guards' beatings were getting infected as well. He was lying stomach down on the hard concrete floors, and he could not move for the life of him. He was dying, and Jason Morgan was sure of it.

* * *

"Jason's pulled through worse, right?" questioned Carly. 

"Of course he has" assured Sonny. "We're looking for him right now, I promise. And we will find him and bring him back home"

"You have some idea at least of where he is?" asked a hopeful Carly.

"We will find him" assured Sonny with a sigh. He didn't want to lie to her twice in a row.

* * *

"What else could you possibly want Lucky?" snapped Courtney. 

"Go to the police with this" Lucky urged as Courtney scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, we can help. We have better resources than your brother. We can find him and save him"

"I doubt it. You'll just botch any plans" she said with a sarcastic chuckle.

"See, that's the attitude that your brother and husband have against the police. You're just imitating them. God, why is it that anything Jason Morgan says is gold?" asked Lucky.

"Right now, as far as I'm concerned, everything that my husband says _is_ gold. Now leave me alone Lucky" she said as she turned from him and stormed back into Kelly's, leaving a disgruntled Lucky alone to punch the dumpster and nearly break his hand in his anger with no one to see another useless move made by yet another member of the PCPD.

* * *

A/N: Haha, you don't know if Jason's okkkkkk! And you're not going to until I get my reviews. Hahahaha! K. I'm being kinda weird (too much sugar maybe) so I am going to leave you guys to review! 


	11. A Little Intervention

A/N: Hello all. I have good news and bad news. Good news first. I have completed this story! That's right, I have the rest of it all typed up on my computer, ready to go! Ready to be posted. Of course, I'm going to take my sweet time posting! But it's done! I start on the sequel soon. Maybe. 'Cause here's the bad news. I got back my first AP English Essay **ever** and I got a whopping B-/82. What a fantastic grade. Not. I'm used to getting much higher grades and I thought I was a half decent writer, and then it's like here, have a minus. So my writing self-esteem is shot to hell. My teacher said something like I had "awkward sentances". I'm sorry, but that's crap. Argg! Be honest, can I write for my life?

Oh, and I didn't actually get my 15 reviews (poo). But I updated anyway 'cause I was excited that I finished. Don't dissapoint me this time guys, or I may take a very loooooonnnnngggg time with the posting.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I loved your Sonny comment. I laughed out loud at that one. It was hysterical. Glad you like it!

luvthemorgans- Aww, I love you too. I think. I would just like to take a moment to personally thank you for your descriptive, endearing, witty, captivating, and **long** review. There, I recognized your ability to babble! Lol, j/k. But yes, I love the long reviews.

emmalee05- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're liking it so much. I do love to torture Jason as I'm sure you know by now!

middiegurl08- I find that the reviews I leave get a little repetitive sometimes too! But I love to hear nice words, and you are always good at giving them!

anon14- I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job when it comes to the emotions. I try!

sexyt- I love when people quote my lines in the reviews! It makes me happy. Thanks for the long one.

ImJustKidding89- I love to write the evil, tortourous side of characters. That, and the characters that are being tortured. They are just so much more fun than boring, happy characters.

tydavislover- He doesn't_ have_ to be ok. Mwah-hah-hah! (That was supposed to be an evil laugh)

SuzieQ8487- Sonny will get his tushy up and start looking, I promise. I see that we're back to petnames, and the best thing I can think of is bananabread. It's not a real pet name, but it has the word banana in it. So that's always good for a cheap laugh.

Riker15- Welcome to my story! I hope the update's soon enough for you.

Nell- Glad you're back and ready to review! We missed you! (By we, I mean I, but we sounds much cooler).

Elvira- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to depress you. Here's a happy face to cheer you up : ) Oh, and an update!

LoLogirl28- I'm glad I'm one of your favorites! Or at least my story is!

ghgirl15- What, because it hasn't been good yet? Hmph. J/k, glad you like it.

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**Chapter 11- A Little Intervention**

Carly didn't know what was wrong as she rolled over at 2 in the morning to find an empty and cold bed.

"Sonny?" she called out, her voice still thick with sleep. "Sonny?" she tried again.

Getting out of bed, she wrapped her blue silk robe around herself before trailing down the stairs, expecting him to be staring out the window or something. But he wasn't there. Trying to suppress the panic that was rising in her, she opened up the front door and saw the night guard on duty.

"Do you know where my husband is?" she asked.

"Mr. Corinthos had to work" said the guard with a smile.

"Work? At two in the morning?" she asked.

"That's what he said" said the guard as his smile began to falter.

"Alright, thanks" she said as she walked back inside.

Picking up the phone, Carly dialed the first five digits of Courtney's number before hanging up. Courtney was going through so much lately, and Carly didn't want to any pile more on her plate. Sinking into the couch, she picked up the TV remote and turned on the news, lowering the volume as to not wake her slumbering sons. She watched eager for some news of her husband, but finding none. Carly let out a sigh.

"Where are you Sonny?" she whispered into the night.

* * *

Sonny was pacing in the warehouse, walking back and forth across the small room. He finally stopped his incessant walking and sat down at the desk. He pulled the shiny silver gun out and unloaded the bullets. He rolled them back and forth on the desk before snapping them back into the gun. Sonny Corinthos was killing time as he eagerly waited for a shipment. But it wasn't a shipment of coffee. 

Finally, the men arrived with the shipment. The poor man was gagged and bloodied, with his whole body tied tightly with thick ropes that were obviously cutting off his circulation. The men hung him from the hook hanging from the ceiling, and Sonny let out a sick a grin before he stood up to face the man.

"Where is he?" asked Sonny.

"Please, sir, I don't know anything" the man begged. "Please, I swear. I'm too low ranking to know anything of that importance" said the man.

"I don't buy it" said Sonny with a scowl. "I want to know where your boss is holding my man"

"I don't know sir, please" begged the poor man again.

Sonny let out a huge sigh. "Fine, you wanna do it this way, that's fine. The hard way is fine by me" he said as he motioned to the guards.

Sonny walked out of the warehouse to collect himself. The only sounds he heard were the grunts and moans of the man as the guards hit him over and over again. Sonny finally returned to the room, his eyes trained on the man who was now considerably bloodier.

"You ready to talk?" Sonny asked, and the man let out a sob as he nodded his head yes.

* * *

The man had finally spilled everything on Fredricks. He had given them a list of safe houses, although he wasn't sure which one Jason was being held in. Sonny currently had men checking them out. He glanced at his watch and sighed. It was nearly sunrise already and Sonny hadn't even thought about going to bed. But he couldn't sleep knowing that his best friend was possibly dying and being held against his will and his sister was miserable because of that. Courtney and Jason made each other happy. They were one another's rock, and without one, the other fell apart. And Sonny would be dammed if he left that happen.

* * *

Courtney rolled out of bed as she saw the sun begin to rise through the bedroom window. Getting up, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and walked down to the living room and out on to the balcony as she watched the bright colors begin to overtake the sky. She closed her eyes and she could almost imagine feeling the warmth begin to reach her face, although she knew that it would take some time before that began. There was a slight wind that morning and it blew her blonde hair around her face. She leaned against the glass doors of the balcony and slid down on to the floor. And she did what she really wanted to do at that moment. She cried.

* * *

The rest of the day has passed like any other day. Courtney and Meg spent the day with Carly and Sonny worked. But the three girls were somber as they sat in the Corinthos penthouse, none of them doing or saying much of anything. Courtney welcomed Meg's bedtime and she picked up her little girl and eagerly bathed her and put her to bed. 

Sonny too was eagerly awaiting Meg's bedtime, but for different reasons than Courtney. As soon as the blonde left, he bent down and kissed his wife tenderly before telling her not to wait up. He had business to attend to. Important business.

Sonny's men had located the safe house that Jason was being held in. It was on a seaside cliff, about twenty-five miles outside of Port Charles. Sonny and a whole army of guards set out into the night, guns drawn and somber faces on. This was an important night. This would be a deadly and bloody night. But Sonny didn't care. Right now, all he cared about was getting his best friend back, alive and well. Or at least alive and healable.

* * *

Fredricks relaxed in his study of the safe house, drinking expensive brandy out of an expensive crystal tumbler. He propped his expensive Italian leather shoe on the table, and frowned when he saw that it had flicks of the heavy red liquid on it. Blood. Jason Morgan's blood. Sighing, he took a handkerchief and wiped it, making a mental note to wear older shoes whenever he visited his prisoner. Milo was getting tired of the games. He had long since decided that this was the night that he killed Jason Morgan. If Sonny wanted to hold on to his territory, he was going to do it without his best friend's help. Milo let out a smile as he put the glass down on the thick wood table. Standing up, he began to prepare the gun that would do the dirty deed.

* * *

Sonny led the men into the house, all keeping as silent as humanly possible. It hadn't been difficult at all to make it past the guards and Stan had taken care of the security system. The front door had easily been kicked in, and any offending guards had of course been taken care of. Now, it was a matter of finding Jason, and finding Milo Fredricks and making him pay.

* * *

Milo cleaned the gun and let his thoughts wander to the real reason he was doing this. He had been hesitant about going after the Corinthos property. But that man had made it seem so wonderful, so important, and so desirable. He would never have known about the inner workings of the Corinthos family if it wasn't for the man. The man who had pressed him to take Courtney and Meg. The one who had told him that the answers to all his problems was taking out Morgan. The man who had pay rolled his recent little adventure. Milo smiled. It always came back to money for him, and he was rolling in it. What was there left to complain about?

* * *

Sonny's army split up, invading the house from different directions. Some of the men headed upstairs while others took the lower levels of the house. They had strict orders. If they find Jason, they are to help him immediately. If they find Milo, they are to capture him. Sonny wanted to make him pay himself. Sonny wanted to make him beg for death. 

Sonny himself went to the basement with his own brigade of guards. He had a hunch that Jason was being held there. His hunch was confirmed by the fleet of guards that stood in the cellar area. Sonny nodded to his guards, and they open fired, killing everyone they saw in their view. Bodies dropped and blood was spilled.

Jason heard the sound of gunshots from the tiny room he was being held in. He was suddenly filled with hope. Had Sonny found him? Jason tried to stay focused and conscious, but his head soon drooped and he found himself fading out again.

Sonny and his men bit back Fredricks' men, killing every last one. Motioning with his hand, the men took to trying the door to every room, using the keys they took from the guards on the locked ones. Finally, Sonny pushed open one of the doors and let out a gasp. There was Jason, lying face down on the floor. He was shirtless and in a pair of ripped and bloodied jeans. The bullet wound in his back was obvious, and he was littered with various cuts and bruises.

"Jason! Jason, come on wake up man" he urged his friend as he kneeled down beside him.

Jason moaned. He was able to partially hear Sonny, but he sounded far off and distant. Everything seemed kind of fuzzy and Jason wasn't sure where his dream world ended and reality set in.

"Come on Jason, hang on. Hang on for Courtney" he urged.

Jason heard that one. He knew that Sonny was right. He needed to hold on to life for Courtney. She may be dead, but it was what she would have wanted.

"Dead" he managed to mumble.

"No, you're not dead" said Sonny, mistaking what his friend said for concern for himself and not Courtney.

A few guards helped pick up Jason, being very careful not to jiggle him too much and possibly aggravate his wound. Sonny barked the orders at them to bring him to the car and call for the mob doctor to meet them back at Jason's penthouse. He needed to take care of Milo Fredricks. He needed to make the man pay.

* * *

Milo heard the commotion and automatically knew what was wrong. Seeing that he was being outnumbered and outmaneuvered, he made a run for it. He climbed out his fourth story window, carefully climbing on the ledge, looking down into a tumultuous ocean, tossing and churning with grandiose waves. 

Sonny ran up the stairs and threw Fredricks' study door open, revealing the empty room. Seeing the open window, he ran over to it and popped his head out.

"You sick son of a bitch" he called at the man who was attempting to flee. "Don't run. Come face me down like a man" he growled.

Fredricks reached into his coat and pulled out a gun, aiming and firing at Sonny. But Sonny was quicker. He shot him twice in the chest and watched as the powerful mobster gasped for breath before Milo Fredricks fell from the wall and plummeted into the sea below.

And the last words he ever heard were yelled after him.

"That's for hurting my family you asshole"

* * *

Courtney paced back and forth in her living room. Sonny had told Carly he had business to take care of. She knew that right now business was directly related to Jason. Did Sonny find Jason? Was he still alive? Courtney's thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the door. Max poked his head in, giving Courtney a sympathetic smile. 

"Mr. Corinthos requests that you and Meg go across the hall and spend some time with Mrs. C" he said, kicking her out of her own home as politely as he could.

"Max, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "I want to know what's going on and I want to know now"

"I'm sorry Mrs. M, that's all I was told" he said.

"Fine" she said tersely as she stormed upstairs to get Meg.

The little girl wasn't happy that she was being woken up and her bloodcurdling screams reinforce red her point.

"Oh I hope Sonny is happy" she said crossly as she stalked across the hall.

* * *

Once Sonny knew that Courtney was safely shielded from seeing her husband in the state that he was in, he had Jason brought upstairs along with the doctor. He immediately began working on Jason, inspecting the bullet wound and the other abrasions and injuries that the man was covered in. 

Jason woke up soon after being brought inside, just as the doctor was poking at him.

"Sonny?" he questioned as he saw his best friend peering back at him.

"Jase! You're awake. That's great. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I hurt. What happened?"

"A little intervention. Basically, Fredricks won't be a problem anymore"

"He's the kidnapper?" asked Jason as he took labored breaths.

"Yeah"

Suddenly, Jason's heart hurt as it all came back to him. Closing his eyes to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall, he opened them again to stare at Sonny.

"Did you have the funeral yet?" he asked in a pained voice.

"Of course not" said Sonny as he exchanged a look with the still laboring doctor. "We never thought you were dead."

"I mean…Courtney and Meg's" he said with a sad look.

"Jason, neither Courtney nor Meg are dead."

"WHAT? Buthe said, and I assumed, and oh my god, they're alive. They're alive."

Jason felt alive again himself. He had thought for sure that he had lost his family. But they were ok. They were all ok.

* * *

Courtney decided that she didn't care about Sonny anymore. It didn't matter what she wanted. Meg was fussy beyond belief and just wanted her own bed and own room. Pushing past Max, Courtney walked back into her penthouse and walked up the stairs. She was about to put Meg to bed when she heard voices coming from her bedroom and she noticed the light was on as well. Knowing full well that she shouldn't go in there and instead get a guard, she adjusted the baby in her arms and walked right in. She nearly passed out at the sight that she saw. 

"Jason?" she asked, her voice thick with tears as she clamped one hand over her mouth as she stared at him.

"Courtney" he said, a big smile stretched across his face.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! They are being reunited. Now you know the deal, 15 reviews! Remember, I need nice words. I just got back that terrible grade. So go easy on me, but be honest if my writing sucks. I know, I just contradicted myself. Is that an "awkward sentance". Ugg. 

And go read _Tangled Secrets_ too and review that one. I wrote the same, I've been royally screwed over by my English teacher rant. So I need happy thoughts there as well.


	12. Bittersweet Reunion

A/N: You all left me absolutely fantabulous reviews, and I still didn't update. I am so sorry, but life's been crazy. I promise a quicker update this time. Leave me lots of reviews again to get that quick update!

I have two sequels planned for this story. I already outlined the first. It's different than any story I've ever written. I haven't planned out the second yet, but I know what's going to happen in it.

Also, tommorow is my birthday! I'm gonna be 16. So leave me lots of reviews as a perfect birthday gift!

SuzieQ848- It is a conspiracy! I'm just glad that someone agrees with me. Yes, they are reunited. I threw you all a bone with that one, lol.

luvthemorgans- I have no idea what you are saying half the time. I feel like I need to do a lot of nodding and smiling around you. Lol, j/k (maybe). Again, thanks for a **long** review. I'm going to thank you everytime for long ones from now on. Just to get you off my back about thanking some people for the long ones and not you. My favorite line in your whole review was "UPDART SOON!" Typos make me giggle. Especially when they rhyme with fart. Sorry, maturity level sinking. That happens when I read your reviews, hmmm... lol.

JulesMorgan- I am a perfectionist, I'll admit it. I try not to be, but it's just the place I live in. College is drilled in to your head in like, third grade. I've been in advanced programs since fourth grade, so I have dealt with a lot of pressure and a lot of other students who would kill themselves over a grade. But thank you for your grounding speech, lol.

emmalee05- Yes, the Jason torture had to come to an end. I gotta stop beating the poor guy up.

ImJustKidding89- Yes, there's some fluff, don't worry. I like your suspicions too.

middiegurl08- I am so sorry that I kept you in suspense for so long. Can you ever forgive me? I guess we'll find out, lol.

anon14- I'm glad you liked the reunion. After it all, they are finally reunited. Yay!

britchic- So, where's my review? You said you'd leave it. Was I forgotten? It's ok, I'm just teasing you. At least you dropped a line.

stephanie- Glad you liked it! Keep up the reading and reviewing!

mgterps- There's no such thing as being greedy with fanfiction! Always remember that!

kaleymc- Glad you love it so much. I love those little romantic moments.

Pureevil230- And that my friend, is what they call a cliffhanger, lol. I love when I get the "isn't there more" reaction.

LoLogirl28- I know that it was terrible of me to make him think that they were dead. But I'm glad I redeemed myself by having him learn the truth and I'm glad you loved that moment.

Nell- Thanks for taking the time to review my story. I feel honored that I'm one of the only ones. I would love to be out of highschool and into Grad school. Well, maybe that's pushing it. At least college, lol.

Starlet- GH is sucking right now. It needs a redeeming storyline. I'm glad I can quench your thirst for now.

sexyt- I understand about feedback. Sometime people are in a rush! I'm just glad you like it so much and thanks for reviewing!

Elvira- Glad I could make your week. It's always good to make people's weeks.

Serena- Welcome to the story! I missed you. You were one of my few reviewers on _Unexplainable Love_. Glad you like this story too!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 12- Bittersweet Reunions**

Courtney couldn't believe it was him as she ran to the bed, pushing past the doctor and throwing her arms around his neck, gently placing Meg down.

"You're alive" she whispered as she hugged him close.

"So are you" he said equally as happy as he held her tightly to him and held Meg tightly as well.

"I was so scared when I saw you got shot. And Jason, I am so sorry that I left. Please, please forgive me" she begged, tears streaming down her face.

Jason brushed the tears off her face and bit back his own as he kissed her sweetly.

"I am so glad that you left. You and Meg are safe now because you did. Besides, I was the one who asked you to leave. I'm just so glad you're safe"

"I'm just glad we're all ok" she whispered.

"Me too" he answered as the two kissed.

Once they broke away, Jason took Meg in his arms and held her tightly, unwilling to let her go. He gently kissed the top of her head as she cooed, glad to have her daddy back in her life.

Courtney backed off and let the doctor finish working on Jason, refusing to let go of his hand the whole time. Courtney was determined to hold on to Jason for the rest of her life. Once Jason was sewed up, the doctor gave him something to ease the pain and help him sleep. Jason had to sleep on his stomach due to his injury but he had one arm draped over Courtney with Meg inbetween the two of them. They were so glad to get back their family that they figured one night of sleeping in the big bed wouldn't be such a bad thing for Meg. As Jason felt his eyes close, he realized that Courtney was rubbing his back and neck and whispering soothing words in his ears. He couldn't even begin to explain how much he had missed her tender touch and her instincts to take care of him when they were separated. He adjusted his body so that he was closer to her and Meg and he soon fell into a deep sleep, filled with sweet dreams about his perfect little family.

* * *

Jason spent the next week healing. Courtney and Meg spent their time taking care of him. Of course for Meg, taking care of him meant giving him her beautiful smile and calling 'Da' and having him play with her. Courtney took a much more subtle approach, rubbing his back and changing his bandages, or simply just feeding him and kissing him. No matter what they were doing, Jason loved having his two girls there with him to look out for him and watch over him.

* * *

He had spent a week in bed or on the couch of the penthouse, and he was tired of it. He wanted to go out but he knew Courtney would never let him. She nearly had a panic attack when he tried to get on to the floor the other day to play with Meg and let out a small groan. She claimed that he was 'overexerting himself and she wouldn't stand for any of that'. But Jason was feeling much better, although he welcomed his wife's overprotective attitude. He had been alone for so long. He had gotten used to being lonely and by himself all the time. He was used to taking care of himself. But now he had his own wife and daughter. He wasn't the pity invite to Christmas dinner anymore. He was part of his own family. And he was so blessed to have someone so beautiful and perfect fall in love with him and want to take care of him. 

Jason made it down the steps and deposited his body on the couch. He was able to hear Courtney and Meg in the kitchen. Courtney was on the phone and from the sounds of it, she was talking to Carly. Meg was screaming loudly, as if angered that Courtney would dare talk to anyone but her. Jason walked into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe and watched. Courtney's hair was up in a messy bun and she seemed to be sweating. Or glistening as she called it. She assured him many a time before that she doesn't sweat, she glistens. She was standing over the stove, trying to cook breakfast. Every now and then she would say 'aha' into the phone and Jason knew she wasn't really listening. Meg was trying to pull the phone from her, but Courtney kept her balance on the phone by supporting it with her shoulder. One of her arms was being used to hold Meg and the other was dedicated to the breakfast making process.

"What? Of course I'm listening to you Carly" she said in an exasperated voice into the phone. "What you last said? Oh, I don't know Carly? Something about Sonny?" she questioned with a sigh.

Unfortunately, Meg chose that moment to demand her mother's attention. The little girl grabbed Courtney's blonde hair and tugged hard on it, her fist ripping out some of it. Courtney cried out in pain and accidentally dropped the phone onto the stove. It sizzled before warping into a completely different shape. Courtney let out a huge sigh and rubbed her sore head, turning around to see an amused looking Jason.

"You want some help?" he asked.

"You are supposed to be resting" she scolded.

"And you aren't supposed to be exerting yourself until you make yourself sick" he scolded right back.

"I just have a lot on my plate right now" she said with another sigh.

Jason took the baby from her arms and gently massaged the sore spot on her head. He leaned down to kiss her but had barely made it to her lips when Carly barged in, her eyes wild with anger.

"Did you hang up on me!" she demanded.

"No! I dropped the phone on the stove, I never once hit the disconnect button" she maintained.

"Speaking of that, you're phone's on fire then" said Carly as she pointed to the stove which had suddenly erupted in flames.

Courtney let out a sigh and grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink, putting out the small blaze. She put it back down and listened as the smoke hit the smoke alarm and the thing started beeping like crazy. Finally overcome with the stress, she looked back and forth from Jason to Carly to Meg and started to cry.

"See, that's why you're not supposed to hang the phone up on the stove" stage whispered Carly to Jason who let out a laugh in spite of himself.

* * *

A half an hour later, the smoke alarm had been shut off, Carly had been shooed from the penthouse, and Meg had been calmed down, as had Courtney. She was now sitting with her head in Jason's lap on the couch as Meg played on the living room floor. Jason was rubbing her head and pushing back her hair. 

"See, you are just too stressed out" he told her.

"It's just that everything's been so difficult" she said. "I just wanted you to be as comfortable as possible now that you're home" she confessed, rubbing her hand over one of the many bruises and lacerations that still decorated his face and body.

"You have made it comfortable" he said. "Just having you and Meg and the three of us being safe is all the comfort that I could ask for" he told her softly.

"Jason, you were held prisoner where you were beaten and tortured while nursing a gunshot wound. You'll just have to excuse my desire to wait on you hand and foot, catering to your every whim for the time being. I hope that's ok" she said sternly.

"That's ok. But take care of yourself too, ok?" he asked.

"Alright" she answered as he leaned down and kissed her lips sweetly.

"In the meantime, I am going to go get us breakfast" said Jason once they broke away.

"No, Jase, stay here. I'll get it" she told him as she lifted her head from his lap.

"No, no, no. It's ok. I could actually use some fresh air" he answered her. "And I want you to rest anyway"

"Be careful" she warned. "And take a car, not your bike"

"Alright" he agreed, kissing her once more before he gave Meg a quick kiss on the head and grabbed his jacket and left.

* * *

Jason walked into Kelly's and came face to face with Mike. 

"Ah, Jason. You're back" said Mike. "Courtney mentioned that you had some sort of business trip that you were on and…oh my god, what happened to your face?" he asked as it dawned on him that the man he was looking at was covered in bruises.

"Business trip went a little awry" he answered curtly.

"Is Courtney ok? And the baby?" he asked

"They're fine" said Jason, and his eyes showed that he was telling the truth.

"Alright. Jason, just try to be careful. You have my daughter and granddaughter to think about. They don't need you getting killed" cautioned Mike.

"Thanks for the tip" said Jason dryly. "I'm actually here to get _my wife _some food" he said, putting the emphasis on the words 'my wife'.

"The usual?" asked Mike with an all-knowing smile.

"The usual" Jason answered as Mike poured him a cup of coffee as he waited.

Mike didn't really hate Jason. He and Jason had once been friends. He just hated that Courtney had been through so much because of him.

Jason silently drank the coffee as he felt a pair of eyes on him. He cocked his head to the side and saw Lucky Spencer looking at him with dark eyes. Jason gave him a half nod to acknowledge his presence, but Lucky just glared at him, finally getting up and sitting down again next to Jason.

"Is it true, what you said to Mike? Are Courtney and Meg home safe?" asked Lucky

"Yes" answered Jason.

"And you're ok too?" asked Lucky.

"Seems like it" Jason answered.

"Good" said Lucky. "I think" he mumbled under his breath as he got up, abandoning his coffee, and racing from the diner.

Brushing off the man's odd behavior as too much caffeine, Jason gladly accepted the bag Mike handed him and started off towards home and his family.

* * *

After they ate breakfast, the Morgan family decided that it was in fact important for them all to get some fresh air, so they decided to pack up and go to the park. Courtney had just gotten Meg all ready when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Jason gave Courtney an apologetic look before opening the door, pulling it back to reveal a nervous but well dressed woman. 

"May I help you?" he asked her.

"My name is Ilene Samuels. I'm from social services" she said, extending her hand to Jason who didn't take it, but continued to fix her with an icy stare. When she saw that she wasn't going to be dignified with a response, she continued. "I'm here regarding a baby girl who is under the care of you and your wife. A little Meg" she stated.

"What about Meg?" asked Courtney, coming to the door with Meg in her arms.

"Is this the baby?" she asked, but when she saw that she once again wasn't getting a response, she once again continued. "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to take her out of your care" said Ilene as she reached for the baby.

"Are you crazy?" asked Courtney, pulling Meg tightly to herself. "Why are you taking our baby?"

"We received an anonymous complaint about the lifestyle the baby is being cared for in. Additionally, you two are not legitimate foster parents. This girl ended up in your care by a complete accident and a slight misunderstanding. I need to take her with me Mrs. Morgan" she said regretfully. It was obvious how much the blonde in front of her cared for the little blonde that she was holding.

"Meg is our baby, and we will do whatever it is that we need to do to keep her" interjected Jason.

"Unfortunately Mr. Morgan, there is nothing that you can do" answered Ilene. "I need to take the baby. I need to take Meg"

"You can't just take her. She's happy here! This is her home! We're her family!" shouted Courtney as the tears began to fall down her face.

"Mrs. Morgan, if you don't surrender the baby, I will be forced to have you both arrested" warned Ilene.

"No, you can't take her" begged Courtney as Jason wrapped his arms around her, holding both her and Meg close to him.

"Please, there has to be something we can do" begged Jason.

"I'm sorry. I'll give you a few minutes to pack up anything you want to send with her and to say goodbye" said Ilene with a solemn smile at them as she backed away from the door to wait in the hallway.

"Jason, what are we going to do?" asked Courtney once Ilene was out of an ear shot.

"We are going to give her Meg" said Jason as he began to pull out his cell phone.

"Are you crazy?" asked Courtney.

"Come on Courtney, you know about all of this through your foundation! The best thing right now is to give her up and then fight for her that way. Believe me when I say we are not giving up on Meg. But we need to let her go with this Ilene woman first. And then-hold on" he said as the call he was making connected. "Yeah, it's Jason. I need you to do a check for me. Ilene Samuels, social services" said Jason as he hung the phone up. "We are not going to let her be bounced from home to home. We are going to adopt her, and we are going to do it the right way" said Jason.

"Alright" said Courtney with a sigh. "You're right. We can't just take her and run. I'm going to go pack her things" she said as she handed Meg to Jason.

Jason stood there for a moment with Meg in his arms. He held the little girl close to him and gently rubbed her back, planting little kisses on her forehead and the top of her head.

"You're going to go away for a few days" Jason explained to her. "But Mommy and I, we'll be there to get you back so soon, you'll hardly know that we were gone" said Jason as he cuddled her closer to him, unsuccessfully biting back his tears. "We both love you so much. Don't ever forget it, ok?" begged Jason as he kissed the top of her head again.

* * *

"I got most of her stuff all packed up. Can you just carry down the bags?" asked Courtney in a broken voice and Jason knew that she had been crying too. 

"Sure" he said, his own voice cracking as he handed Meg to her.

It was Courtney's turn to say goodbye and she wasn't sure if she could do it.

"I love you so much Meggie" she said. "But this is all for the best. You'll come home soon" she said. "Daddy and I love you so much" she whispered to the baby as the tears flew down her face.

Jason came down the stairs with the bags just as his phone rang. He picked it up and said yeah a few times before halfheartedly thanking the person on the other end.

"Ilene Samuels is legit" he answered with a bitter smile as he toyed with the phone in his hand.

"So we have to say goodbye" said Courtney softly.

"So we have to say goodbye" Jason repeated in a heartbroken voice.

"Are we ready in here?" asked Ilene as she poked her head in.

"Just a minute more" Jason told her and she gave an understanding nod.

The three just held each other for a moment and they both gave Meg big kisses and hugs, once again assuring her that they would all be reunited soon. They said their final goodbyes and Ilene walked back into the room. The guards helped her with the bags and she took Meg in her arms. The little girl started to scream immediately, wriggling around and reaching for Courtney and Jason.

"Ma! Da! Ma! Da!" she called out over and over again, not understanding why they weren't doing anything.

"We love you" Jason called back to her as the tears coated his cheeks.

He held a sobbing Courtney close as the two felt their hearts break listening to her heartbroken and scared cries.

Finally, they could no longer hear her and they took that opportunity to completely break down, crying in each other's arms. Jason finally broke away, the anger apparent on his face.

"The damn kidnappings. I knew they were going to come back to bite us in the ass. And he just had to make it worse on top of everything. I am going to kill Lucky Spencer" Jason growled as he punched the wall, causing Courtney to gasp. "It was him. He was the anonymous complaint" he hissed bitterly as Courtney stared at him with fear in her eyes. She had never seen him like this, and she was scared to see what Jason was going to do next.

* * *

A/N: I said the same thing on _Tangled Secrets, _but leave me plenty of b-day reviews and I might update again tommorow. Think of it as a thank you note. (You guys would be the first thank you note I wrote so far, even though I've gotten gifts already. Oops.) 


	13. Anger Management

A/N: Hello all, I am back again with a quck update. It's the birthday update. So yes, I am now officially 16. Which means I can legally get a permit and more importantly, I can legally drop out of HS and devote my life to fanfiction. That idea didn't really fly with the parentals. Oh well, here's your update as I neglect my math homework that I chose not to do all weekend long.

middiegurl08- I hope that means you at least had time to prepare yourself for that sad occurance. And you know how I feel about crying. It is perfectly acceptable, and even encouraged.

luvthemorgans- I don't make fun of you. Oh, who am I kidding; I love to make fun of you! Lol. You write the most amazing reviews, but the typos make me laugh. For instance, this review said "barley" instead of "barely", and don't even get me started on words like 'gonns' and 'buss'. I'm just kidding, I love you Bre, you know that. And I love your reviews.

Pureevil230- Yes, Lucky is being a bit of a jerk. But I promise to give him some time to redeem himself later on in the story.

Daniele- Welcome to the story! Glad you like it, and glad you were bored enough to read it, lol! J/k, thanks for reading and reviewing.

emmalee05- I love the Jason angst more than anything too. But if I keep physically torturing the poor guy, I may accidently kill him one day, and that wouldnot be good at all.

LoLogirl28- They are an extremely cute family. I love little Journey families like that.

Riker15- Glad you liked it.

kaleymc- Glad I was able to move you to tears!

anon14- I know all about falling asleep while writing reviews, believe me. Lol. See, that's why we all need to go to sleep at reasonable hours. Or not.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- Sorry about all those computer problems. Now, when you say you got it all back, do you mean the stories as well? 'Cause I miss your stories, especially Love or Loyalty.

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* * *

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**Chapter 13- Anger Management**

Jason was out of the penthouse before Courtney could do anything else. He grabbed the keys to his bike, his gun, and his leather jacket and took off like a mad man from the penthouse.

'This isn't good' thought Courtney as she contemplated what to do next.

Then it hit her. Jason wasn't thinking straight. He was going to look all over town for Lucky but he wouldn't do the obvious thing when it came to finding him. Grabbing the phone, Courtney dialed Elizabeth's cell phone number, eagerly awaiting until she picked up.

"Hello?" came the voice from the other end.

"Elizabeth? It's Courtney. Look, it's an emergency. Do you know where Lucky is?" she questioned.

"Yeah, he said he was meeting Nikolas at Kelly's. What's the emergency?" asked Elizabeth. "Is he ok?"

"He'll be fine" said Courtney as he hurriedly hung up the phone before racing down to Kelly's.

* * *

When Courtney reached the diner, she was glad to see that Jason had yet to show up there, and Nikolas and Lucky were just casually getting a cup of coffee as though nothing had happened. Courtney decided to take the moment to let out her true feelings towards Lucky. 

"You bastard" she said striding right over to him.

"Courtney, I think I know what this is about. And you need to know that I did this with Meg's best interests at heart" explained Lucky.

"No, you obviously weren't thinking of Meg's best interests. I have no idea what the hell you were thinking! Meg belongs with me and Jason. We are her parents. We love her, and take care of her, and we gave her a good life. A good life that you had to go and take away!" Courtney yelled at him as everyone in Kelly's turned and stared.

"Courtney, lower your voice" said Lucky in a hushed tone.

"Oh, don't you dare tell me what to do!" she yelled back at him.

"Fine, come with me" he said taking her and leading her by the arm outside as Nikolas and the rest of the patrons looked on.

"Get your hands off of me" she ordered once they were outside and she managed to tug away from his grasp. "Jason's not going to be so pleased when he finds out that you were all over me like this" she yelled.

"What's Morgan gonna do? Put a bullet in my head? That's why you're here right? To prevent Jason from killing me. Afterall, he was on his way to find me and do just that"

"How did…"

"Elizabeth called me. She said you called and said there was an emergency and you needed to find me. I put the rest together" he explained.

"Yeah, well then you should be thanking me, not manhandling me" Courtney exclaimed.

"Maybe you should have let Jason kill me. You know, so that he can show everyone what a mobster he really is. Courtney, this is the reason I got Meg removed from your custody. Because Jason loses it and goes off trying to kill people. Meg doesn't need to be in that kind of environment"

"Than why'd you let me take her home in the first place?" asked Courtney with her hands on her hips.

"Because I didn't think it was going to be so permanent. I didn't think it was going to be so long term and definite. I didn't think she was going to get kidnapped."

"She was with me the whole time" Courtney argued

"Yeah, but you were kidnapped as well. Courtney, the point is Meg is an innocent baby. She doesn't deserve the life that the mob can offer her. She deserves better" pleaded Lucky.

"You don't know anything about her or her life" maintained Courtney, the tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"I do know that she's safer now that she's away from that murdering bastard you call a husband" Lucky spat.

Courtney raised her hand and slapped him clear across the face. Lucky cried out and grabbed his cheek in pain as the handprint and the sting remained.

"Don't you ever talk about my husband like that again" Courtney ordered, the venomous tone her voice had taken not going unnoticed by Lucky.

"Courtney, I am a cop. You can't just hit me" Lucky said. "Look, I'll excuse it this once because you're upset, but the next time you raise your hand to an officer of the law, you may not get so lucky"

"Stuff it Spencer" Courtney huffed as she walked away. "I hope Jason finds you" she called back over her shoulder. "And I hope he makes you pay for being such a jerk"

* * *

Courtney stormed back to the penthouse and threw open the door, livid and wild with anger. To her surprise, Jason was there waiting for her. He was lying on the couch with the laptop open and propped against his knees. 

"Hey" he said as he got up and walked towards her. "Where were you?" he asked as he bent down to give her a hello kiss.

"I went to go stop you from killing Lucky Spencer" she answered truthfully.

Jason laughed a little as he looked at her.

"What, you weren't going to kill him?" she asked.

"Maybe not kill him. But I was going to at least give him a serious pounding. But I realized after a bit that we need to be on our best behavior if we want to get Meg back. And hitting a cop is not the way to do that"

"Too late" she said as she sunk down into the couch.

"What do you mean?" he asked her. "Did you hit a cop?" he asked her with an amused smile.

"Not _a_ cop…" she said.

"A cop by the name of Lucky Spencer" Jason finished for her.

"Exactly" said Courtney with a nod causing Jason to laugh again.

"How did it feel?" he asked her as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Liberating" she answered as she leaned back into his chest.

"I'm jealous" Jason said as he gave her a smile and then gently massaged her shoulders.

"What were you looking at on the computer?" asked Courtney as she motioned to the abandoned laptop.

"I was researching cases similar to ours. And we actually have a pretty good chance of getting her back. We have a meeting with Justus tomorrow to talk about it"

"Good" said Courtney. "I can't wait until she's back home where she belongs"

"Me neither" agreed Jason as he lightly kissed her. "Hungry?" he asked her.

"Yeah. We forgot all about lunch today" she said. "How bout we get some linner?"

"Linner?" he questioned with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, you know. A cross between lunch and dinner. There's brunch, why can't there be linner?" she asked as the two got their things together.

"Alright, how 'bout some dinner at Kelly's until the 'linner' craze sweeps the nation?" Jason asked her.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked him as he ushered her out the door.

"Never" he said as he closed the door behind them, a smile on his face.

* * *

"Oh great, and this day keeps getting better and better" said Courtney with a sigh as the two walked into Kelly's. 

"Well, well, well. Look who it is. My brother, out with my wife" said AJ as he saw them walk into Kelly's.

"Correction, it's some guy you've seen around, out with _his_ wife" said Jason gruffly as he pushed past AJ to get him and Courtney a table, pulling out the chair for Courtney and everything.

"And where is my darling Meg tonight?" asked AJ in mock confusion. "Oh yes, that's right. Child services came and took her away, didn't they? Afterall, who would want to leave a baby in the care of a hit man?"

"You know what AJ, I think it's time that you leave" said Jason as he stood from his chair and grabbed AJ, pulling him from the diner.

"It's a public place" AJ protested as Jason dragged him out, but Jason didn't even listen to the man's gripes.

As Courtney watched on in amusement, a dark shadow fell over the table. Looking up, she sighed.

"What is this, assholes eat free day at Kelly's?" she questioned.

"Look, I just wanted to say that I was sorry for what I said before. It was completely out of line. But I want you to know that I am not doing this to punish you or Jason. I'm doing this because it's best for Meg" Lucky explained.

"Go to hell Lucky" said Jason as he walked back in to the diner. "And stop harassing my wife"

"I was just explaining to her…" started Lucky.

"We don't want to hear it. Just leave us alone" said Jason. "And nice handprint by the way" he said as he pointed to Lucky's cheek.

"You're wife would know" Lucky mumbled as he stalked off.

"Let's just order" said Courtney, trying to get back to the quiet dinner she and Jason had planned on.

She had just gotten the words out of her mouth when they were greeted by someone else who they hoped to never have to see.

"Jason, Courtney. I've been looking all over for you" said Allen as he hurried in.

"You have got to be kidding me" said Jason with a growl.

"Maybe it really is assholes eat free day at Kelly's" said Courtney as she looked around the diner as though expecting to see a sign advertising the special day.

"I heard about Meg, and I am so sorry. But I have to say, if you did as I said, then you wouldn't be in this position right now" said Allen.

"Allen, what are you talking about?" asked Jason in a frustrated tone.

"If you had made the Quartermaine's a part of Meg's life then she would have had a stable family and probably wouldn't have been taken away from you" said Allen in an irritating I-told-you-so voice.

Before Jason or Courtney could say anything else to them, Mike hurried over to their table in a panic.

"Courtney! Is it true that you were kidnapped!" he demanded.

Courtney and Jason each let out frustrated sighs.

"You wanna get out of here?" he asked her.

"Yes. Please" she said, accepting his outstretched hand as the two walked out of the diner, hand in hand, ignoring the other people demanding they do otherwise.

* * *

As they walked out, they found AJ talking animatedly on his cell phone. Jason got a gut feeling and gently led Courtney behind the bushes so that the two could listen in on what he was saying. They kneeled in the dirt and listened, their hands still interlocked. 

"Hey, it's not my fault he ended up dead. I was simply a financial backer. He was in charge of the dirty work" said AJ as he stopped and listened for a moment. "Technically, he didn't do as he was supposed to! Jason was supposed to die!" hissed AJ into the phone.

Courtney grabbed on tighter to Jason's hand, not believing what she was hearing. Jason pulled her close, knowing that she was getting upset by hearing that.

"At least everyone knows about the kidnappings now. Things are being done. Courtney's father's pissed; the baby was taken from them. Mike is going to want her away from Jason, and Lucky Spencer was easy enough to manipulate. First with the checking up on them that morning, and then with the complaint. At least some good is coming out of this. There may still be a way for me to get my revenge, and to get my wife. I'll be in touch" said AJ as he hung up the phone, hurrying away with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Courtney and Jason were fuming.

"I can't believe that he is responsible for the kidnappings!" demanded Courtney.

"I can" said Jason as he looked down at his feet. "I should have killed AJ when I had the chance. He has done nothing but hurt you and I just let it slide, and for what? Some sort of loyalty to Lila and Emily? And maybe Monica?"

"No Jason, you didn't kill him because he's your brother. And because you have a more then a shred of decency in you, unlike him. Don't you get it Jason? You gave him more than enough chances to leave us alone. You have been the better man here, and AJ took advantage of that. So, don't you dare start thinking that you let me down, and that you don't protect me"

"You know me too well" Jason said as he continued to look down at his feet.

"So stop thinking it" she said as she tilted his head up and kissed him.

"I'm going to protect you now" he said once they had broken away. "And Meg" he added.

"Jason, you can't lay a finger on AJ right now" Courtney ordered.

"Why not?" Jason asked in shock.

"Because, that wouldn't be protecting Meg. You said it yourself. We need to be on our best behavior right now. Everything we do will affect our chances of getting Meg back"

"Alright. Your right" he said with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's go home and get some sleep. We have that early morning meeting with Justus to get to tomorrow"

"Let's go" she said as he wrapped his arm around her and the two started home, pausing only so that Jason could order a pizza to be delivered so they could get the relaxing night they had hoped for.

* * *

The next morning, Courtney nursed a cup of coffee as Jason fidgeted next to her. She placed one hand on his knee to get him to stop moving around so much. 

"You're driving me crazy" she told him.

"Sorry" he answered as he took a sip of her coffee. "This is ice cold" he said.

"Is it? I hadn't even noticed" she answered.

"Look, we're both nervous. But we need to pull it together and be ready for whatever new it is that Justus has for us" Jason told her.

"Alright, you're right" she said as the two looked up expectantly as the door to Kelly's opened.

"Good morning" said Justus as he walked in and sat down beside them.

"Do you have news for us Justus, where do we stand on getting Meg back?" asked Jason as he took Courtney's hand in his.

"You and Courtney have an excellent chance of getting her back. Neither of her parents can be located or even named, you held her in your care for weeks, the kidnappings can't be proven, and she seems to really like you two. You are both fit parents, and you have strong ties to the community. Plus, Courtney has her foundation. The courts would most definitely rule in your favor and allow you to adopt her with no problems, especially because you were her foster parents for so long"

"This is great news" Courtney said with an excited look on her face.

"Yes, it…excuse me, I have to take this" he said as his cell phone started to ring and he rose from his chair to take the call outside.

"Jason, we're getting her back! We're getting our daughter back" she said.

"Yes, we are. But remember, we don't have her yet, so we can't get ahead of ourselves" he warned.

"Right. You're right" she agreed as she took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Justus chose that moment to walk back in, a grave look on his face.

"Courtney, Jason, I have some bad news. Meg's mother was found"

* * *

A/N: Alrighty, now it was a quick update because of the whole birthday thing, but it's not going to be as quick if I don't get reviews. I'm not updating until I get **15** reviews. Alright everyone **fifteen reviews for an update.** So, if you want to find out about this whole Meg's mother thing, you need to review. 


	14. The Custody Battle

A/N: It is 1:00 am and I am writing this, so it may not be posted tonight (or this morning really) if my parents come down and yell at me to go to bed and I don't have time to finish. But I got my 15 reviews and I had my b-day party tonight, and I am in such a good mood that I wanted to post.

Now, I am not thrilled with this chapter, but I did what needs to be done. I tried to do it all jumpy-like like they do on the show sometimes. It's served its purpose, and I promise you that later chapters will be much better. So please at least lie to me in the reviews.

And remember, for this story Baldwin and Taggert are still around. Just 'cause I miss them. I know, that sounds weird. But I loved to hate them.

Woops, I heard someone coming, but it was just my sister. She's home from fall break and she came down to say goodnight. Alright, enough of the play by play, I know you all really don't care, lol.

Oh, and sorry to dissapoint, but Meg's mother is an OC, although you all suggested some great ideas of who could be her mother.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- Thank god you had everything written down at least. I would have died if you lost that story! I love it, and I can't wait until you update it.

caseybutler70- Glad you like it, thanks for reviewing!

SuzieQ8487- I am so glad I was able to shock you! And I am also glad you had so many great quotes from the chapter, lol. Thanks for catching up with the reviews, I'm happy you took the time to review both chapters, not just the new one.

Pureevil230- Thanks for reviewing, I hope this update is quick enough for you!

lec- You reviewed chapter 12, but I decided to thank you anyway, lol. I love when I get people emotional enough to cry, lol.

luvthemorgans- And she still has typos, lol! And don't make fun, I almost always proofread my reviews. They are just as important as the actual update. And I thought that story was funny, I literally laughed out loud, and a lot.

emmalee05- linner should be a word, I certainly use it enough. And get made fun of because I use it, just like Courtney. See, we relate, lol.

Serena- I loved your AJ comment, it was so funny. And I'm glad you like my stories. I think you're the only one who read both _Unexplainable Love_ and this one, so if I steal lines from the other, pretend like I didn't, 'cause you're the only one who would know, lol.

britchic- I have no idea what happened with your reviews. So, I am thanking you for reviewing, and saying congratulations and/or good luck on the football/coach thing, but I'm not sure if that's right. So confused!

middiegurl08- Here's my confession. I hate soaps. I think they are so stupid and ridiculous. But for some reason, I am drawn to GH. I can't even explain it, 'cause it's not that good anymore. But I fell in love with Jason when I first started watching which was during the "Sonny says no to Journey" phase. And even though I took an extended break from the show, I couldn't keep away, and I came back a full blown fan. So, I try to write my stories as soap-less as possible. I know, I'm weird.

kaleymc- I thought someone needed to hit Lucky, and Jason always gets to hit everyone, so it was Courtney's turn, lol.

LoLogirl28- Lucky did deserve to get hit, I agree. And as for AJ, he's a big big big jerk, but we all knew that already, didn't we.

anon14- As the angst queen, I must answer your question with a resounding "no". Courtney and Jason will never catch a break in my stories. I just love to torture them.

samantha- Glad I'm able to keep you in suspense and interested!

Nell- Yes, I am only sixteen. But I'm glad you thought I was older, lol. I'm really short and baby faced (and not to mention basically flat chested), so everyone thinks I'm eleven or twelve all the time, and it gets really annoying. At least in fanfiction I can seem 16 or older.

Starlet- Yes, it was a very convienient time for Meg's mom to reappear in the picture. But that was on purpose, and not only by me. You'll see what I mean when you read the chapter. Things are never as black and white as they seem.

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* * *

Chapter 14- The Custody Battle**

It had been a week and a half since Meg's mother had returned and claimed her baby. But Courtney and Jason weren't giving up. On the basis that Paula Richards, Meg's mother, had abandoned her, and that Courtney and Jason were her foster parents for as long as they were, the two took her to court, hoping to win the custody battle against her. There was no way that they were just going to surrender their baby. They had seen Meg only once since she was taken away from them, not for lack of trying. Paula was holding her, but that didn't stop Meg from crying out and reaching for the two of them. She just kept saying 'Ma' and 'Da' over and over again, breaking the Morgans' hearts. Paula had looked uncomfortable, but not in the least tired or worn. In fact, she looked like a new person from the pictures they had seen of her. She had a new haircut, new clothes, and what could only be described as a new and fake attitude. Automatically, Jason and Courtney knew what had brought on such a drastic change. Two letters- A and J.

* * *

The day of the custody battle had finally begun. All three parents in question had undergone evaluations. Dr. Winters had questioned them all, and now it was up to a judge to review her evaluations, review testimonies, and make a ruling. 

Courtney and Jason arrived at the courthouse twenty minutes early with Carly and Sonny. The Corinthos' attempted to keep Jason and Courtney calm, but the two were obviously on edge. Courtney kept fidgeting with her hair and Jason was playing with his wedding ring.

"Come on, you two need to keep it together" said Carly.

"It's in the bag. You will get custody of Meg. You have Justus on your side. He has gotten us both out of more tough spots than we can count. If anyone can do this, he can. Plus, there are two of you" said Sonny.

"Once again math saves the day" said Courtney bitterly.

"You know what I mean" said Sonny as he scowled at her. "You two provide a stable home. A mother and a father. You've never abandoned her before, and you were the best parents she has ever had in her whole entire life. You two are shoo-ins for this"

"Sonny, the courts aren't about to take a child away from her biological mother. Especially if that mother is now rolling in the dough and is completely together, which Paula is apparently now" said Jason

"Yeah, thanks to the Quartermaine fortune" scoffed Carly

"We are not going to let AJ get away with this. Don't worry, you two will get your baby back" said Sonny as he walked away to go talk to Justus.

"I'm going with him" said Jason as he followed Sonny.

"If it helps, Justus is sleeping with Dr. Winters" whispered Carly in Courtney's ear, causing Courtney to let out a little giggle.

"Has it been confirmed?" Courtney asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Gossip meter says…" said Carly as she looked over at Dr. Winters who was giggling a little as Justus made eye contact with her, "…hell yes"

* * *

Paula finally walked into the room, hardly minutes before the hearing was scheduled to begin. 

"How's Meg?" asked Courtney as she immediately stormed over to her.

"She's fine. She's with a nanny. Not like its any of your concern. The judge isn't even here yet, you don't have to play the part of concerned mommy yet Blondie, you can save it" sneered Paula.

"Unlike some people, I don't use children as pawns, and I'm not playing. I am actually concerned about that little girl, while it's obvious that you aren't" hissed Courtney.

"Don't waste your breath" said Jason as he gently pulled Courtney back from Paula. "She's not worth it"

"How do you live with yourself?" asked Courtney to Paula as she ignored Jason. "You know that you are depriving your daughter of having a good, stable life. How do you sleep at night?"

"Easily. My bed's covered in Egyptian cotton sheets" said Paula with a laugh as she took her seat next to her equally impressive lawyer, a man named Walter Green.

"That woman is insufferable" said Carly as everyone filed into their seats.

"That woman is going to destroy the life of her child" said Sonny as he and Courtney sat down.

* * *

The first witness up on the stands was Dr. Winters, ready to give her full accounts and deductions from the evaluations. She started with Paula. 

"Ms. Richards admitted that she suffered from a minor and temporary mental lapse, which was the reasoning for abandoning her baby in the first place. But, after evaluation, I can determine that she seems to have regained her composure completely. Of course, she is subject to having another lapse, and this is something that would have to be monitored. She is the baby's biological mother, so she does have an attachment with the girl that no other woman in the world can have. But Mrs. Morgan is an extremely fit parent as well. She had no problems in her evaluation that would deter me from putting a child in her custody. _Mr._ Morgan however, was a different story. I have seen that he is susceptible to angry, sometimes violent outbursts, although they have to be strongly provoked, and from what I can tell, he would never lay a hand on an innocent party such as a child…"

Dr. Winters continued on, discussing the benefits and negatives of each parent. It was almost too much for Courtney to bear. She couldn't believe that her daughter was what was at stake here. She wasn't sure if she wanted to believe it.

* * *

Finally, it was time for other witnesses to come up and tell their side of the stories. 

"Mrs. Corinthos, in your opinion, how did Courtney and Jason make Meg comfortable in her surroundings?" asked Justus.

"Courtney and Jason bought her things of course. But it wasn't just that. It was obvious that she was scared and uncertain in her new surroundings, and Courtney and Jason just had a way of calming down. They knew how to hold her, and how to comfort her and her tears. They love her, and she loves them. It seemed that she had been deprived of attention before Court and Jase got her. It was as though no one ever really held her or sang to her until the two of them came around"

* * *

"Dr. Quartermaine, how do you feel that your son handled fatherhood?" asked Justus to Monica. 

"Oh, Jason is a great father. He just has a way with kids. He raised my grandson Michael for the first year of his life and I had never seen a happier child than that little boy. He always knows how to take care of children. Meg included. Meg just loves him. He always knew what she needed, whether it was her diaper changed, a bottle, or just to be held and loved. And he always gave it to her" said Monica.

* * *

"What happened when you and your daughter found Meg Mr. Corbin?" asked Justus. 

"I didn't know what to do at first. But Courtney, she kinda just snapped into action once she got over the initial shock. She took her to the police station, hoping they could do something to find her mother."

* * *

"And then what happened at the police station officer Spencer?" asked Justus. 

"I told her that she needed to surrender Meg to the PCPD until we could find her mother. But Courtney knew, from her foundation, that she would be bounced around and what not, and she wouldn't get a stable life until her mother was found, and maybe not even then. So she begged me to let her take her home with her. And I agreed, and I later got permission from Mac, although it wasn't outright"

"And what made you think Courtney would be a fit mother?"

"She's just so good with kids. I've seen her with her nephews, and I've seen her down at the station doing work for her foundation. Kids are her passion, and she knows how to take care of them. She just wants to help them, and her love for this one was obvious. If you ask me, there is no parent better fit to raise Meg than Courtney"

"And what about Jason?" asked Justus.

"He's a great Dad. And he obviously loves Meg. He deserves to get her back" said Lucky truthfully as he looked straight into Courtney and Jason's eyes.

"Thank you" Courtney mouthed at Lucky who gave her a half smile in return.

* * *

The court adjourned for a break before Walter Green began his proceedings. 

"Lucky!" called Courtney as she found him in the courtroom.

"Hey Courtney" said Lucky wearily as he turned around.

"Why'd you say what you said?" she asked him.

"Because, it was the truth. After meeting this Paula woman, I know that you and Jason are the best parents for Meg. Look, I was scared for her when she was kidnapped. No innocent child should have to go through that. But I can see now that you would never let anything happen to her. I can see that you are the best options for parents for her. No one else. Just you and Jason. I want to make amends for what happened. For what I did. I can't help but feel like this all my fault" said Lucky.

"Probably because it is" said Jason as he walked up behind Courtney.

"Jason! It is not your fault Lucky. Either way, Paula would have showed up and claimed custody. You're helping us really by testifying in our favor. We really appreciate it" Courtney told him.

"If there's anything else I can do…" started Lucky.

"Thanks, we think we're ok" said Jason tersely as Lucky nodded and walked away.

"Be nice" Courtney warned.

"I am being nice" said Jason as Courtney walked away, shaking her head as she did. "What?" he called after her as she attempted to hide the smile that was on her face from him. "See, you're not mad" said Jason with a cocky grin as he followed her back to their seats.

* * *

"Dr. Quartermaine, what reasons do you have to believe that Meg is not safe with Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and would be better off with her biological mother?" asked Walter. 

"Jason is a known criminal. He is Sonny Corinthos' hit man, and his danger touches everyone. It has hurt his wife and other members of his family so many times, that I can't even list the occasions on my fingers. He can't protect this child, he can only hurt her. No one in their right mind should give him a baby. And as for his wife, she's hardly any better. She's flighty. She sees something better than what she has and she goes for it. There's no telling how long this sham of a marriage will last" said Allen haughtily.

"What a bastard" whispered Carly to Sonny as she looked over at Courtney and Jason who were both sitting there, holding hands, and throwing daggers at Allen with their eyes.

* * *

"Mr. Quartermaine, what happened that day in the park? The first day that you met Meg?" 

"I was just enjoying the nice weather when my criminal brother spotted me and accused me of getting too close to his wife and Meg. I had no intentions of bothering them, and Jason just jumped on my back about it. He threatened to kill me if I came near either of them ever again. He grabbed me by the neck and then he eventually released me, and I just got out of there as quickly as possible" said AJ.

"So you would say you're brother is prone to violent outbursts?" asked Walter.

"Definitely. He has attacked me numerous times. See, he was in an accident a few years back. It messed with his head. He doesn't handle emotions correctly. He just uses violence. He's damaged your honor, and I worry about the safety of that little girl" said AJ as he looked up at the judge.

"Objection!" said Justus as he jumped up. "That day in the park did not happen in the way that Mr.Quatermaine believes it did, nor would my client ever hurt that little girl!"

"Mr. Ward, sit down" ordered the judge as he eyes narrowed.

* * *

"DA Baldwin, tell us about Jason Morgan" said Walter Green. 

"Mr. Morgan has a history of being dragged into the PCPD. Assault, murder, attempted murder, it's all there. He is a violent man, who kills people for a living. Of course, none of the charges ever stick. Sonny Corinthos always finds a way to bail him out"

* * *

"Detective Taggert, how do you feel about Mr. Morgan as a parent?" asked Walter. 

"As an officer of the law, I must say that it scares me. Morgan is violent, dangerous man. For an innocent baby to be under his care is frightening. His crimes have shaken Port Charles for years. Giving him custody of a child is the worst thing a person could possibly do"

* * *

"So what now?" asked Courtney. 

"Now we wait. The judge should have a verdict soon" said Jason as he took her hand in his.

"What if Paula wins? She can't get custody Jase! Meg won't be safe or happy" said Courtney.

"We will figure this out" said Jason. "We won't let our daughter suffer. We will find a way to make sure she gets everything she needs"

"Courtney, Jason. The judge has reached a verdict" said Justus as he stepped outside to find them.

"Here we go" said Courtney.

"Here we go" repeated Jason as they both took deep breaths and walked back in.

* * *

A/N: As I am sure you can all tell by the time that this being posted, I did not get to post it before I went to bed. I was too tired. I stopped in the middle and went to sleep. So, I posted it as soon as I woke up, which was now. Cut me some slack, I'm a teenager, we sleep late. Especially when we go to bed at 1:30 in the morning. 

As I'm sure you can all tell, I gave Lucky a chance to redeem himself. I think he handled it rather well. So we can all stop hating the guy now.

I'm going for 15 reviews again, I know you can all do it!


	15. The Verdict

A/N: Yay, I got a lot of reviews! Reviews make me happy. And I am so glad you were all glad that Lucky had a chance to redeem himself. I think I have a tentative title for the first sequel to this story: _Keeping it Together While Falling Apart_. My only concern is that it may be too long. Let me know what you all think.

middiegurl08- I hate Allen. He is a big big jerk. I agree, he would testify against Jason on the show. That man is out of control!

luvthemorgans- I don't even know what to say to you sometimes, lol. So, I am going to kindly thank you for the review, tell you to watch those water bottles, and give you a big smile.

kaleymc- AJ does need to die. He's a poo-head. Glad you agree!

jenny- I am so glad you like it! Keep reading and reviewing!

emmalee05- I love Dr. Winters. I dunno why, but she has become, like, my favorite character. So don't be suprised if you see a Justus/Lanie story from me sometime soon, lol.

SuzieQ8487- It wasn't too much work to "stick out" the chapters as you put it. I loved the story, you know that. I meant what I said, it was great from start to finish.

anon14- I love being evil! I feel so powerful whenever I am. Mwah-haha!

journeyfan01- I love the cliffhangers, that I do!

LoLogirl28- Everyone liked the gossip meter thing. I'm glad. I like when people think I'm funny, and so does my ego.

Jennifer- That is so sweet of you to say. I personally judge a story by how many times I can reread it, and for you to say that you think mine is rereadable is a huge compliment.

mg- I know, I know. I'm such a mean person to leave it at that. But cliffhangers tend to generate more reviews, and I am a shallow, reviewing loving writer, lol.

ImJustKidding89- I'm glad you liked it. But wow, everyone was really pissed off about that cliff hanger, lol.

britchic- I love court-based cliffhangers, lol. And I am definitely not sick of the football. I actually went to a football game today, but American football. It was just a highschool game, but one of my best friends is on the team, even though he didn't get to play. And we were actually winning, but then me and my other friend showed up, and we're jinxed, so we lost. Oops, lol. And you're right about that time zone thing. It's weird. I was thinking of going to an out of state college, but I would be in a different time zone and even though it was just one zone over, it was really weird. Wow, that was a long thanks, but I had a lot to say, lol.

sexyt- Glad you were able to catch up on the chapters, and thank you so much for taking the time to review them all instead of just skipping to the last. I'm glad you're still in to it!

Pureevil230- Jason is an awesome father. They really need to give him a kid on the show already, because he is just so damn sexy with a baby in his arms.

Starlet- I love him too, and I hate when Lucky's the jackass in the story too. But I needed to write him that way, as much as I hated it. I was writing that part when during the suragacy storyline when he was still being a controlling ass though, so that affected it. But he's all sweet and perfect again, so I redeemed him!

DaniBabez- I love answering questions, don't worry, and don't ever feel hesitant about asking any, even ones you think are stupid. I only know about this stuff from asking other people. To answer your question, an OC is an original character. So Paula is an OC because she's not actually on the show, I formed her in my own little head. I hope that answers your question! And as for your other question, there are 21 chapters in the story. Plus, there's the sequel.

**

* * *

Chapter 15- The Verdict**

"…The State of New York hereby grants full custody to Paula Richards, the biological mother of the child in question. This court is dismissed" said the judge as he banged his gavel and walked away.

"No! No, this isn't happening!" cried Courtney as she looked back and forth between Jason and her lawyers. "Someone please tell me that this isn't happening!"

Jason just sat there stoically, staring straight ahead and not saying anything. Carly and Sonny looked nervously at their friends, watching Courtney freak out and Jason just sit there.

"DAMMIT!" he finally yelled, banging his fist down on the table with such force that the whole thing shook and almost buckled.

"Looks like you proved us all right today anger boy" goaded Taggert as he walked by, motioning to Jason's fist which remained on the table.

Courtney put one hand on Jason's arm as a reminder that Taggert was a cop and he couldn't attack him.

"Look, we can file an appeal, but I doubt that the verdict is going to be any different" said Justus with a forlorn sigh.

"How can this be happening?" asked Courtney with a lost puppy look in her eyes. "We are the best parents for Meg. Paula probably doesn't know anything about her own daughter!"

"I know that this is hard, but there's nothing we can do" said Carly sadly, the tears creeping to her eyes.

Since Meg had come into their lives, Carly had been on cloud nine. She loved having a little niece to spoil, go shopping with, and be girly with. It didn't even matter that Meg was still just a baby. Carly loved that little girl, and Meg loved her aunt.

"So what are we supposed to do?" asked Courtney as Jason remained standing there, his jaw set and saying nothing.

"You are supposed to say goodbye" said Sonny softly as he looked at his feet.

"He's right" said Jason, breaking his silence again.

"So what, we are just supposed to give up on our daughter?" snapped Courtney.

"We aren't giving up. But we're saying goodbye for now. We need to see her one more time. We need to make sure she's ok, and that Paula knows what she's doing" said Jason.

"I don't think I can say goodbye" said Courtney as she began to cry.

Jason hugged her close, burying his face in his hair. He looked over her shoulder to see Paula finishing up the legal documents and thanking her lawyer. Releasing Courtney, he ran over to her.

"Please, just give us a chance to say goodbye to our daughter. Let us just say goodbye" Jason begged her, the emotion apparent in his eyes.

"The court didn't rule that you two had visitation rights. And she's not your daughter" said Paula snidely.

"We're asking you out of the kindness of your heart. Do it for Meg. She needs to see us. She needs a chance for us to explain" said Courtney as she joined Jason.

"She's just a baby. She doesn't understand anything that's going on anyway, let alone an explanation" scoffed Paula.

"She understands a hell of a lot more than you think. She understands that she is being separated from the only true parents she has ever had. The two people who love her, and will always care for her. The two people who she loves and misses too" growled Jason.

"Well than I'm not going to confuse her by bringing you two around. I'll just _explain_ to her that she's back with her real mommy" sneered Paula as she looked at Courtney with disgust.

"She deserves a chance to say goodbye to us" said Jason, his eyes cold and angry as he stared at her.

"Fine, meet me in the park at 4:00 today. I'll give you two fifteen minutes of supervised visitation, but after this, that's it" said Paula.

* * *

"We have fifteen minutes with our daughter and then we are just expected to never see her again. This isn't fair Jason" cried Courtney as the two sat in the park, waiting for Paula. 

"I know" he said, taking her in his arms and wishing that he could comfort her in some way.

"Alright, we're here, make it quick" said Paula indifferently as she handed a squirming Meg to Jason.

"Hey Meg" said Jason as he tried to blink back the happy tears that invaded his eyes when he was holding her in his arms again.

"We missed you so much" said Courtney as she kissed the little baby on the head.

"Ma, Da!" screeched the little girl, her happiness apparent in the big grin she wore.

Still in Jason's arms, she reached out one hand for Courtney who eagerly took her little hand in hers. Meg grabbed onto Courtney's finger tightly and tried to hold on to them both at the same time. For the next ten minutes, the happy family just played like old times again. One helped Meg down the slide while the other sat at the bottom 'catching her' and watching as she giggled with delight. Courtney sat on the swing with Meg in her lap and Jason pushed them, Jason made her 'fly' like Supergirl, and everything else. It was all perfect until Paula looked up from the magazine she was reading and said "five minutes".

It was time for goodbye, something that Courtney and Jason weren't sure if they were prepared to handle.

"Meg, mommy and I need to talk to you" said Jason somberly as he and Courtney sat down on the bench with Meg on both of their laps facing them.

Meg was immediately able to sense the change in mood and her happy smiles and giggle immediately died away.

"Da?" she questioned.

"Meg, you're going to go live with a new mommy, and daddy and I aren't going to be there" said Courtney as she attempted to smile through her tears for Meg's sake.

"Ma?" she questioned, looking back and forth between the two.

"That woman, she's your real mommy, and she's going to take care of you" continued Courtney.

"So we need to say goodbye Meggie. We love you so much, but we can't take care of you anymore" said Jason.

Paula looked over from her magazine and rolled her eyes. As if her daughter knew what goodbye even meant. She watched them for a few moments, the guilt almost entering her, but she quickly brushed it off. That little girl had made her life miserable, what did she care about her happiness? As long as she got the money that the Quatermaine brat was paying her, than she was perfectly content. When she had enough, Paula got up and walked over to Courtney and Jason.

"Time's up" she snapped.

"Please, just a few more minutes" Courtney begged.

"Sorry Blondie, but some of us have places to be" she sneered.

"Don't you dare talk to my wife that way" Jason growled.

"Oh stuff it mob boy. Or what was it that the officer called you? Right, angerboy. See, you don't deserve to have a baby in your custody and care"

"And you do?" scoffed Courtney. "You dumped your baby in a diner. She could have died if no one found her"

"Temporary lapse of judgment" jeered Paula. "Now, we need to go now" she said as she roughly grabbed Meg from their arms.

Meg immediately began to cry. Her face was scrunched up and was bright red as she screamed bloody murder, begging for Courtney and Jason. It was like she knew that it was goodbye for good. Jason and Courtney's hearts were breaking with each yelp she let out, and they were certain that she was going to make herself sick. But there was nothing that they could do now, and it killed the both of them.

* * *

"You sleeping?" asked Jason. 

"Nope" said Courtney with a sigh as the two lied in bed that night.

"I just can't fall asleep when I don't know where Meg is" started Jason "I don't know if she was fed, and bathed, and put in a clean diaper and…"

"…if she has a warm place to sleep, and her favorite blanket, and a goodnight kiss. Yeah, I know the feeling" said Courtney as she finished Jason's sentence. "How could this have happened? How could that terrible woman be awarded custody over us?"

"Because, she doesn't have a criminal husband" said Jason in a small voice.

"Jason…" said Courtney, her voice comforting as she turned on her side so that she could put one hand on his face, cupping his cheek.

"I think I know how to get Meg back" said Jason.

"How!" asked Courtney excitedly.

"You divorce me" said Jason meagerly.

"WHAT? No way in hell!" cried Courtney.

"Come on, it may be the only way. If we're divorced by the time of the appeal then you won't be linked to a criminal husband anymore. You heard all of the testimonies in court today. All the good was for you and all the bad was for me. The courts don't see me fit as a parent, but you're the ideal one" he told her, even though it hurt to say the words.

"There is no way that I would ever divorce you" she said in a strong voice. "You are my husband, and I love you. I wouldn't be able to bear it if I couldn't call myself your wife anymore. I couldn't last a minute away from you. When I was kidnapped, and I was away from you, all I could think about was how much I missed you. How much I hoped you were ok. I won't divorce you, and I can't. Not even for Meg"

"It's our best option right now. We could both take care of her. And you would both be safer. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been kidnapped" said Jason bitterly.

"Are you kidding me" she said as she tilted his head upward so that he was looking into her eyes. "I am Sonny's sister. I'm a target no matter what. Besides, we've been through this before. In the way beginning, remember? I vaguely recall my idiot brother trying to keep us apart for that same illegitimate reason that you just spouted. So if you wanna get rid of me, you are going to have to come up with some new material"

"Courtney, maybe Sonny was right. Maybe I've done nothing but ruin your life. You've been shot at, kidnapped, attacked, held at gunpoint…"

But he was silenced by Courtney putting two fingers over his lips.

"I don't need a list of the reasons why you're bad for me. Because no matter what, the list of reasons why you're perfect for me will always be longer, and it will always be more meaningful. I don't care about the bad. I didn't lose Meg because of you. If we did it your way, I'd still be a single mother fighting a single mother with a genetic claim. I wouldn't win. So stop blaming yourself for everything bad that has happened in my life. Everything happens for a reason. And as much as it sucks sometimes, we need to believe that there is a good cause for it. We need to believe that it will all work out in the end. Maybe we weren't meant to be Meg's parents, as hard as it is to accept. Maybe we need to just hold on to what's important that we still have in our lives. Like each other" she said as she finally removed her fingers from his lips and gently kissed him.

"I love you so much" he mumbled into her hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you so much too" she responded. "But please stop doubting yourself and beating yourself up. Because that's my husband you're talking about. And he's the greatest guy a girl will ever meet, and I don't appreciate you badmouthing him that way" she teased.

"I'll try my hardest ma'am" said Jason with a tip of his head towards her.

Courtney laughed a little as Jason bent his heads towards her and kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips.

"We should get some sleep" said Jason when they finally broke away.

"Yeah" Courtney said in a voice hardly above a whisper.

They both lied down again. Jason was on his back while Courtney snuggled up next to him, her head on his chest. Both were silent as the two thought of Meg.

"Jason, I miss her" whispered Courtney as she began to cry.

"I know, I miss her too" whispered back Jason as their tears mingled.

* * *

A/N: Alright, everyone get all of your death threats and 'I hate yous' out of the way right now. Is it out? Good, now leave a review. Yes, I know, it was mean. But I torture the two of them, you all know that! Just keep reading, I've still got stuff up my sleeves. 


	16. In My Daughter's Eyes

A/N: Alright, so I only got 14 reviews. Whatcha gonna do? Thats cool, just remember that it takes longer for updates! So everyone please please review.

This is a song chapter. It's not a song fic, but rather a chapter that I later found a song that fit. I actually heard it at a wedding we were at; it was the father-daughter dance. And it fit perfectly with my story! It's called _In My Daughter's Eyes_ and it's by Martina McBride. So she owns it, not me. I suggest you listen to the song while reading, but it's not necessary, the words are right there. It just enhances the reading experience and adds to the mood.

middiegurl08 - I know, I know. But give it time, it'll be fixed. I'm glad you liked the chapter anyway.

caseybutler70- That was an excellent question. I'm pulling writer's liscense here. She's really supposed to be like 10 months or so, but I know, she's far too developed to be 10 months. But it was just cuter that way. So, imagine her to be a ten month baby who's insanely smart or something, lol.

anon14- Don't worry, that's a word, lol. Glad you liked it!

Pureevil230- I'm not evil! Alright, maybe I'm a little bit evil. But it will be worth it, I promise.

kaleymc- I love to write emotional, gut wrenching scenes. I guess I just love to torture everyone, lol. I'm such a little sadist.

britchic- I will always listen to your "football rubish", don't worry. The football stories make me laugh. Poor guy with the foot to the face. Next time, to make the conversation last longer, like, throw your panties at him or something. It works at concerts, lol. J/k, please don't throw your undergarmets at the players.

emmalee05- We are all suckers for angst, don't worry. I'm glad you think I balanced it though. Balance is always good.

Nell- I love getting holy cows. They make me feel special, lol. I'm glad you liked it so much.

LoLogirl28- I actually have plans for two sequels. I have the first few chapters of the first written, and once I finish that, I'll start on the next.

DaniBabez- I love answering questions, it was no problem. And read what I wrote to LoLogirl about the sequel.

SuzieQ8487- I love the "yet". And I'm glad you liked the line. That will be my official "best line I've ever written" as decided by Suzie, lol.

luvthemorgans- Your only 14 and your drinking that heavily already! Stop! Take it down a notch! I can guarentee you that your parents are going to catch on, and you're going to become a highschool alcoholic in the process. I have friends who are highschool alcoholics. And lemme tell you, they get really annoying really fast. So slow down! And as for the shrimp balls, I don't eat shrimp (I was told when I was younger by sister that they're little people, and as a fairly short person myself, that always scared me to death), but I do like to say the word.

sexyt- Wow, you were violent in that review, lol! I'm just glad you weren't threatening and/or cursing out me. : )

Riker15- Thanks, glad you like it.

Starlet- Updates are fun! And your review was my deciding factor in whether to update or not! I was just waiting for that one more, and you delivered!

Alright, this site has a problem. It always tells me that I have one less review than I really have. So I did get my 15, rest assured. But err, it makes me mad that it always lies to me, then I yell at you all, and really, you didn't do anything wrong.

**

* * *

Chapter 16- In My Daughter's Eyes**

For the next few days, the Morgan penthouse was eerily quiet. Sonny and Carly hardly dared come and visit, but they were worried about their best friends and family. Carly had made the mistake of bringing over Michael and Morgan once and both Courtney and Jason had nearly both started crying right there. Jason had lost Michael, and Carly was pregnant with Morgan during the brief time that Courtney was pregnant was well. It was just too much loss for either to deal with.

They hadn't said much to each other during that time either. Jason would silently do paperwork and Courtney would stare out the window. That was where they were now. Jason sat and filled out some forms, but his thoughts were on Meg.

_In my daughter's eyes I am a hero  
I am strong and wise and I know no fear  
But the truth is plain to see  
She was sent to rescue me  
I see who I wanna be  
In my daughter's eyes_

He was filled with thoughts of pushing her on the swings, and spinning her around, and comforting her when she had bad dreams. He could think only of how she would grab on to him. He remembered the first say that he had met her so clearly. How Carly had scared him into thinking he had actually fathered a child and not known about it. How Meg has suddenly brightened up his life, and made him feel even more complete.

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal  
Darkness turns to light and the  
world is at peace  
This miracle God gave to me

_gives me strength when I am weak  
I find reason to believe  
In my daughter's eyes  
_

Courtney closed her eyes as she gazed out the window and thought back on when she had found Meg in Kelly's. How she had been so shocked at seeing a baby just abandoned, but immediately felt a need to protect that little girl. That little girl suddenly became her life. Combined with Jason, she had the family she always wished for. Meg had brightened up her life, and Courtney wanted nothing more than to hold her daughter in her arms again. She loved taking her shopping and all the clerks and other shoppers would comment on how beautiful of a baby she was, and how she looked so much like Courtney. Courtney would just smile. Meg looked like her, there was no denying that. And it didn't matter that Meg wasn't biologically her daughter. Biology didn't matter. Meg was Courtney's daughter in every way that mattered.

_  
And when she wraps her hand  
around my finger  
Oh it puts a smile in my heart  
Everything becomes a little clearer  
I realize what life is all about_

Jason threw down his pen, and Courtney jumped, being broken from her reverie. She turned and stared at him, looking at the anguish in his eyes that matched her own. He gave her an apologetic look for ruining her thoughts and for disturbing her. Sighing, Courtney got up from her window seat and took Jason by the hand, leading him to the couch. The two sat down together with Courtney on Jason's lap and neither said anything yet. Jason stroked Courtney's bare arms and golden hair, sighing as he did. She leaned lightly back on his chest, wishing that being in his arms like that could just provide the comfort that it usually did. 

It's hangin' on when your heart  
has had enough  
It's giving more when you feel like giving up  
I've seen the light  
It's in my daughter's eyes

"Where do we go from here?" she asked timidly. "We can't just stay in this funk that we're both in. We can't keep spending every waking hour thinking about Meg"

"Are you ready to move on?" he asked her, but not in a judgmental way.

"No" she said softly with a bitter little laugh. "And I don't think I ever will be. Meg was the answer to everything we ever wanted. She was our daughter. She was our sun in the sky. She brightened up both of our days. And then she was snatched away from us. They took away our happiness"

"I know that you want me to fix this Courtney, but I can't. I just don't know what to do" he said softly.

"I don't expect you to fix this. This is our battle together. We're not alone in this, and we can't keep thinking that we are. We have each other, and we need to talk to each other. We can't just keep sitting here, lost in our own thoughts, wallowing in our misery and self pity. We need to find a way to make this right. And we need to find that together" said Courtney.

"You're right" agreed Jason.

And for the rest of that day, Courtney and Jason just talked. They just talked about their daughter. 

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future  
A reflection of who I am and what will be  
Though she'll grow and someday leave  
Maybe raise a family  
When I'm gone I hope you'll see

_how happy she made me  
Cause I'll be there  
In my daughter's eyes

* * *

_

Early the next morning, Jason lied wide awake in bed. Courtney was fast asleep in the safe sanctuary of his arms. He gently kissed the top her head and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Sliding her out of his arms, she stirred and gently moaned.

"Shh, go back to sleep" he whispered in her ear as he showered her face with light kisses.

She moaned once more before falling back into her slumber.

Jason quickly dressed and pulled on his shoes. Scribbling a note, he left it on his side of the bed where Courtney was clutching his pillow. He looked at her once more, noting how beautiful and perfect she was. He closed his eyes as he thought about how much she loved him. She wanted to stay married to him, even if it meant losing her baby. Sighing again, he left the note and Courtney alone and walked downstairs. He shoved his gun in the waistband of his jeans and threw on his leather jacket. Grabbing his motorcycle keys, he left the penthouse. He had only one goal in mind that morning, and he was going to succeed. He was going to punish the person responsible for taking away his daughter.

* * *

Jason carefully picked the lock on the door to the Quartermaine mansion. It was only 5:30, and he was sure that not even the Old Man woke up that early. Once he made it into the house he climbed the stairs, careful to avoid the ones he remembered as squeaky. Creeping down the hallway, Jason pulled out his gun and turned the safety off. He was going to find his brother, and he was going to make him suffer. He'd shoot him in the arms and legs first, than let him bleed out a little. Of course he'd finish the job before he left. Two of the best doctors on the East Coast resided in this house. And he wasn't willing to let them resuscitate his pig of a brother. 

Jason found AJ's room and slowly pushed the door open, the gun with the silencer ready; his finger itching to pull the trigger. It was dark and Jason could barely make out AJ's form in the bed. Pushing closer to the bed, he raised the gun, ready to fire, when he was hit with quite a surprise.

There was no AJ in that bed.

"What the hell?" he mumbled under his breath.

Suddenly, he felt the need to get out of that house. He had barely made it out of the room when he bumped into Reginald.

"Jason?" questioned the frightened butler.

"Reggie, hey" said Jason softly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, now more confused than scared of the intruder.

"That's not important. Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone that I was here" said Jason as he attempted to push past Reginald and down the stairs.

"Too late!" came a chipper voice and Jason turned to see Edward standing there with a smirk on his face. "What are you doing here my hooligan of a grandson? Hmm? Breaking and entering now part of your mob work for Sonny?"

"Whatever, I'm out of here" mumbled Jason.

"Not so fast. I just may press charges!" said Edward rather loudly. "Breaking and entering is illegal, although I know that means nothing to you"

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Monica as she entered the hallway, obviously awoken from a peaceful slumber.

"We have an intruder Monica" said Edward pointing to Jason.

"I hardly consider Jason an intruder, nor a reason to wake the whole house up" shot back Monica.

"I did not wake the whole house up!" yelled Edward.

"Yes you did" said Skye as she emerged from her room, wiping the sleep away from her eyes.

"Daddy, what's going on?" asked Tracey as she emerged from her room. "What's he doing here?" she asked once she saw Jason.

"Why is everyone awake this early?" asked Allen. "Jason?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as though he thought he was hallucinating.

"What's going on out there?" called Lila and Reginald promptly wheeled her out into the hallway. "Jason, it's so good to see you"

"Sorry Grandmother, but I'm not staying long. I'm actually going now" said Jason as he attempted to walk away.

Edward grabbed his arm and Jason turned around and glared at Edward as though daring him to touch him again. Edward promptly released Jason's arm.

"I'm calling detective Taggert. You, young man, are not going anywhere. This is breaking and entering" sneered Edward.

"Oh for the love of god!" cried Skye. "This is what you woke us all up for?" she asked Edward.

"I'm sorry, but aren't you not an actual member of this family?" asked Edward in mock confusion. "Reginald, call the police. I want this problem taken care of"

"Edward!" snapped Lila. "Don't be ridiculous. You are not going to get our own grandson arrested for coming to visit us"

"He did not come to visit us Lila darling! He came to do some sort of work for Sonny. Something with ELQ probably. Look, he has his gun and everything!" shouted Edward.

"He always has his gun" said Tracey with a yawn. "Don't think I'm on your side or anything" she added to Jason.

"I wouldn't dream of it" said Jason coldly.

* * *

The arguing continued for another half an hour. Jason kept trying to slip away, but someone kept grabbing him back, and Jason was controlling himself for Lila's sake and not punching Edward right in the face. Monica wearily retreated to her room and dialed a number that she wished was more familiar than it was. 

"Hi, it's Monica. You need to get to the house right now. The floodgates have opened" she told the person on the other end.

* * *

15 minutes later, Courtney barged into the Quartermaine mansion and followed the arguing voices to the upstairs hallway. 

"What is going on? I got a call saying I needed to get here right away" said a breathless Courtney.

"You shouldn't have wasted your time" Jason grumbled.

"Ah yes! The mob princess has arrived. Just in time to see detective Taggert arrive to arrest an intruder" said Edward.

"An intruder?" asked Courtney with a roll of her eyes.

"Your husband couldn't help but break in"

"I agree with my father here. Jason needs to learn his lesson" piped in Allen.

"Go to hell" snapped back Courtney before Jason even had a chance to say anything else to either his father or grandfather.

"ENOUGH! That is enough from everyone. I want everyone back to their rooms. There will be no more pestering Jason. Do I make myself clear?" asked Lila in a determined voice.

"Crystal" mumbled Edward as everyone listened to Lila and filed back to their rooms.

* * *

"I am so sorry my dears" said Lila. "You know that the family can get a little out of control" she said with a little laugh. 

"It's ok Grandmother" said Jason as he kneeled down near her wheelchair.

"Did someone call the police?" asked Taggert as he burst into the house and ran up the stairs. "Ah yes. I should have known you'd be involved somehow Angerboy"

"Now, now, Detective Taggert; it's not your job to harass my grandson, is it?" she asked.

"No ma'am" said Taggert as he looked down at his feet.

"This was all a simple misunderstanding. Sorry you were dragged down here" said Lila as she sent Taggert on his way, grumbling about how he had a chance at Morgan and couldn't take it. "Now Jason, I know there is a reason why you came here. Please be frank about it" she told him.

"I came looking for AJ" he said, unable to lie to his own grandmother.

"AJ left. He decided that he needed some time away from the family. He went to some tropical island. He didn't tell anyone where he was going exactly" said Lila sadly as she thought of losing her grandson.

"Do you know how long he's going to be gone?" asked Jason.

"A long time. Maybe forever" she answered sadly. "He made it seem pretty permanent. Why the sudden interest in AJ?" asked Lila suspiciously.

"It's not important now" answered Jason truthfully. "We better go. Goodbye Grandmother" said Jason as he bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodbye Mrs. Quartermaine" said Courtney shyly as Jason took her hand and led her downstairs.

"Wait, Jason, Courtney. I heard about what happened with your baby. I am so sorry"

"Thanks Grandmother, it means a lot to us" said Jason and Courtney was only able to nod.

* * *

"I got your note and then Monica called me" said Courtney shortly as they walked outside. 

"Yeah…"

"I know why you were here Jason" she said as she jerked her hand out of his grasp and turned to face him. "You were going to kill AJ. You were going to kill your own brother"

"Courtney! He took everything from us. He has destroyed us. After everything he's done over the years don't you think he deserves it!"

"What about your grandmother? Or your sister or mother? Did you even think about them?" she pressed.

"Damn it Courtney! I didn't care. I don't care. All I care about is making AJ pay for hurting you. For hurting us!" he yelled.

"Jason" she said softly as she walked closer to him so that she could give him reassuring touches and caress his cheek, watching as his eyes closed as her hand made contact with his skin. "We need to put what AJ did in the past. I don't want you going to prison for his murder!" she said as she started to cry. "I already lost my daughter! Please don't make me lose my husband!" she begged as her tears fell hard and quickly.

"Shh, I'm sorry" he said as he pulled her close and wiped away her tears and kissed her.

"I'm sorry. Let's just go home, ok?" he asked her.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Umm, Sonny's driver dropped me off so I could use a ride" she told him with a small smile.

"Hop on" he told her with a big smile of his own as he passed her the helmet.

"Jason?" she called for him.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around, half on his bike.

"I love you" she said.

"I love you too" he answered as he bent down to kiss her.

* * *

A/N: Remember, 15 reviews for an update, as usual! 


	17. A Carly Plan

A/N: I got awesome, awesome reviews. It made me very, very happy! So, here is another update. This story's winding down, but then we have the sequel of course!

middiegurl08- I'm glad you listened. If you ask me, the right music always makes a chapter a gazillion times better.

JulesMorgan- I am so glad you liked it!

emmalee05- I do love my angsty emotions : ) And I love the Quartermaines. They are the perfect mix of humor and drama.

britchic- No, it doesn't let you post links and I really, really wanna see that pic. Send it to me at cookiecrazyy85. I'm at yahoo. And I am so sorry that I messed with your future-reading abilities.

jennifer- I hope this update was quick enough for you. Read the chapter, you have some mind reading abilities, lol.

Jackie-Ken- I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing.

SuzieQ8487- Yes, I do love emotion and mood. And I don't think I clearified, but Eddy is played by John Ingle, not Jed Allen.

Samantha- One important thing did happen. AJ's gone. That's important.

anna- I'm glad you love it, thanks for reviewing.

anon14- I love Lila too. I miss her so much. I know they couldn't control the circumstances, and I'm actually glad that they didn't just recast her, but it doesn't make me miss her any less.

DaniBabez- Seriously, it was like the song was written for the chapter, lol.

luvthemorgans- Once again, I'm sorry for lecturing you. But let that story that you told me be a lesson- a lady never reveals her tush.

sexyt- As I've said to everyone today, I absolutely love and miss Lila. And as for that book, it just wouldn't work. I can't think of my own characters and storylines, I need to have something to use as a springboard. Fanfiction is much easier. But thanks for the great compliment though!

Nell- That's ok. Fanfiction has been taking up all my time. I just blow off all my homework and studying because I'd rather be writing, lol.

susan- Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

serena- Glad you were able to catch up on those chapters, and I'm glad you still like it.

Starlet- Alright, I hope this put you out of your misery quick enough, lol.

**

* * *

Chapter 17- A Carly Plan**

"We need to find a way to snap them out of this!" cried Carly as she stormed back into her penthouse.

"No kidding" agreed Sonny as he threw down the paperwork he was trying unsuccessfully to read.

"I swear, you walk into their penthouse and it's like your walking into a crypt. Everyone's talking in hushed voices if they're talking at all, there's no laughter or smiling, and the two of them are sitting there like statues"

"Courtney's probably reminiscing and Jason is probably thinking of new and creative ways to torture AJ to death" interjected Sonny.

"If he ever finds him" mumbled Carly.

"We need to do something" said Sonny as he began to pace.

"With finding AJ?" asked Carly as her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"No, with snapping them out of it" clarified Sonny.

"But how?" asked Carly as the two paused for a moment. "I got it!" she finally cried.

"No!" said Sonny quickly as he put up his hands to stop her.

"You don't even know my plan yet!" she protested, her arms crossed over her chest.

"And I don't want to. Carly plans are dangerous, stupid, and they never work. We are not going along with one of them!"

"Just hear me out Sonny! We need to find Paula and talk to her. We need to convince her that Meg will be better off with Jason and Courtney"

"And you think this will just…work?" scoffed Sonny.

"Yes, I do. Taking care of a baby is no easy task. Especially when the baby doesn't want to be with you. Paula must be exhausted. She has AJ's money, what else does she want? We can offer to give her more money even. She may just see things our way" said Carly with a triumphant smile.

"I don't know Carly…"

"Sonny, what's the worst that can happen?" asked Carly.

Famous last words.

* * *

"Call me back when you have more information" snapped Jason into the phone as he hung it up. 

He wanted to crush it in his hand to get out all of his anger. He calmed down a little when he saw Courtney walk down the stairs. She was wearing a simple pair of sweats and a tank top, but her hair was still wet from her shower and her skin seemed to glisten. Striding over to her, he took her in his arms, smelling her shampoo and feeling her soft skin.

"How are you doing?" she asked him softly as she pulled away slightly to caress his face.

"I'll be doing much better when I find AJ and make him pay" said Jason as he walked out of Courtney's grasp.

She sighed and looked at her husband. He was torturing himself and she hated that. She watched as he walked over to the window and stared out of it, his shoulders and back hunched. She walked over to him and placed one hand on his back in a comforting gesture. Bringing herself closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his stomach, pressing her face into his back. He sighed and closed his eyes before putting his hands on top of hers and pulling her even closer to him. He finally turned around in her arms and wrapped his own arms even tighter around her.

"We can't keep torturing ourselves. I thought we agreed on that. And we agreed that you weren't going to kill AJ" said Courtney quietly.

"I just can't drop this Courtney. I can't let him get away with it all. He has caused this family so much pain. He took away our daughter!"

"And you and Sonny took away his son" she said as she detangled herself from his arms and walked away from him, her back turned.

* * *

"Is this the block?" asked Sonny as he maneuvered the car to turn left. 

He had decided to drive himself, figuring any guards would just scare Paula and not let them talk to her.

"I dunno, is it?" asked Carly from the passengers seat.

"You're the one with the directions!" he snapped.

"Well you're the one with the sense of direction!" she snapped back as she tried to read what she wrote on the scrap of paper with Paula's address on it. "Yeah, I think this is it" she finally said, and Sonny made the sharp turn.

"Now what's the house number?" he asked her.

"Just how much do you want from me Sonny?" she asked as he rolled her eyes at her. "It _may _start with a five" she said as she tried to read off the paper.

* * *

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Jason tensely as he glared at her. 

"Oh come on Jason, it is so obvious what that means. Pay back's a bitch" she snapped at him, immediately regretting her harsh tone and words, but unable to control her anger.

"I thought you said you didn't blame me for this" he said slowly, the hurt and pain evident in his voice, eyes, and face.

Courtney felt guilty for hurting him like that, but she had to get it off of her chest.

"I just feel like you have this sick vindictive agenda against your brother which is strikingly similar to his against you. You have no idea about how many people you hurt when you pull an anti-AJ move"

"What, you mean like sleeping with his wife?" he asked her spitefully, and he watched as Courtney's big blue eyes filled with tears.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" she asked

"It's supposed to mean that there were two of us pissing off AJ. So don't try to turn this around and suddenly blame this on me!"

"I'm not! I meant what I said when I said I didn't blame you. I meant it when I said that you are the love of my life, and the only man for me. I love you, and nothing is going to change that. But my daughter was taken away from me, and I want answers, not another filled body bag"

* * *

"This is the house. I think" said Carly as they pulled up to one of the homes. 

It was medium sized, and it looked nice enough. The lawn was well-kept and groomed, the paint wasn't chipping. In fact, the house looked like it hadn't been lived in all that long. Probably because it hadn't. AJ Quartermaine's money had paid for the house and the new lavish lifestyle of its occupant.

Taking his wife's hand in his, Sonny strode up to the door and knocked. He was surprised to receive no answer. He knocked again once more, but when there was still no answer, he looked over at Carly who just shrugged.

After another knock, Sonny dropped Carly's hand and motioned for her to take a step back. Throwing his weight on to the door, the thing opened, and he and Carly walked in. The house was eerily quiet, and the two walked through, shocked at the sight they saw.

* * *

"I don't know why you are feeling the need to protect AJ!" yelled Jason. "The guy is scum!" 

"Jase, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying I don't want there to be anymore death. I can't handle it. Not after we lost Meg"

"Don't talk about her like she's dead" he said tensely to his wife, his blue eyes becoming cold and angry.

"I don't mean to Jason. I just…I…it's too much sometimes Jason. We are dealing with so much. And I don't want you going to prison on top of it all. And I don't want to fight. Please, can we stop fighting? Alright, I'm sorry for anything that I said that upset you. Please forgive me"

"Courtney, of course I forgive you. You shouldn't even be the one begging for forgiveness, I should. I jumped all over you. I'm sorry, and I love you. Let's just forget about this. We are both obviously upset and taking it out on each other. Come here" he said, extending his arms to her.

She eagerly ran to him, and he sighed contently as he held her close to him. They were right. They had both pissed off AJ, but the past was the past. They would get their daughter back somehow, but fighting was not the way.

* * *

"This place is a mess" said Carly as she attempted to walk through it. 

Beer cans and empty bottles of booze littered the floor, mixing with cigarette butts and god knows what else. The floor was sticky, as though alcohol had been spilled all over it. To Sonny and Carly's horror, they even saw a few drug needles lying on the floor. Watching their steps, they walked through all the rooms, calling out for Paula, and even for Meg.

"Sonny, I really hope that this isn't where Meg has been living and we just made a mistake about which house it was" said Carly, the fear evident in her voice.

"Me too" said Sonny, although he knew deep down that Meg was living here.

The two headed upstairs, ready to try all the rooms.

"Meg! It's us. It's Uncle Sonny and Aunt Carly. Are you here?" Sonny called out to her.

All the sudden, the two heard the cry of a baby coming from a room on the left. They hurried as quickly as they could into the room and saw an old crib sitting in the middle, with nothing else. Inside the crib lied a perfect little baby. When she saw who had entered the room, she stopped crying and her face broke into a smile. She pulled herself up, using the bars, and held out her arms to Sonny and Carly.

"Oh my god" cried Carly with one hand covering her mouth.

Sonny sprung into action, running to Meg and taking her in his arms.

"Shh, it's ok Meggie" he soothed as the baby began to whimper with happiness.

"When do you think was the last time someone held her?" asked Carly in horror.

"I'm not sure" said Sonny, although he suspected it was a while ago.

Carly looked into the crib and saw an empty bottle. She wasn't sure of the last time it was full. Wrenching open the closet in the room, she saw a small stack of diapers and some baby wipes. Sonny put his coat down on the floor and gently laid Meg down on top of it. Carly changed her very stinky diaper, and Meg cooed in contentment.

"We can't leave her here Sonny" said Carly as she worked.

"Of course not" agreed Sonny.

"So what do we do?" she asked him.

"We take her, plain and simple. From the looks of it, no one will miss her" he said bitterly.

"What about all of AJ's money? Did she spend any of it on Meg?" asked Carly.

"I doubt it. It probably all went to AJ's favorite things; booze and drugs" said Sonny as Carly finished changing Meg. She picked the little girl up and held her tightly in her arms, kissing her head.

Meg began to whimper again, and she pulled her head up so she could look at Carly.  
"Ma? Da?" she questioned.

"Oh, you wanna see Mommy and Daddy?" asked Sonny as he walked over to her and took her adorable little hand in his own. "We are going to take you right now" he told her as he gave her a little kiss.

"Ma! Da!" she said excitedly.

"But first" said Carly as she bent down and picked up the empty bottle from the crib, "we are going to get you some formula. You must be starving"

"We passed a store on the way here. We can stop there" said Sonny as he picked dup his coat. "Now let's get out of here" he said.

As they walked out, something caught his eye. It was the bags of stuff Courtney and Jason had sent over with her. And none of it looked touched. Trying to hide his anger for Meg's sake, he picked up the bags and carried them to the car. He strapped in the car seat he had found that Courtney and Jason had given to Paula as well and he and Carly put Meg in it. They were not about to let anyone hurt their niece again. They were going to bring her back to her parents.

* * *

Courtney and Jason lied snuggled under a big blanket on the couch. Jason had his arms around her, and Courtney was leaning back against his chest. He sighed contently and she smiled at him. 

"This is much better than fighting" she said as she stole a gaze at the burning fire in the grate.

"Yes it is" he agreed.

"I love you so much" she told him.

"I love you too" he said as he bent down to kiss the top of her head.

Their peaceful moment was ruined by loud and eager knocking on their front door.

"Go away!" Jason yelled in frustration.

"Jase! It's me. Open up. It's important!" yelled Sonny.

Jason let out a growl before he and Courtney walked over to the door. Wrenching it open, he revealed Sonny standing there.

"What?" he questioned in an annoyed voice.

"Carly and I have a surprise for you" said Sonny with a smile.

"A surprise?" questioned Courtney as she crossed her arms over her chest while Jason wrapped his arms around her.

"Yes, a surprise" said Sonny. "Carly!" he called out, and she stepped over to them from around the corner.

"MEG?" Courtney questioned with a huge smile as the little girl in Carly's arms squirmed and reached out towards her mom and dad, happy for the first time in a long time.

* * *

A/N: She's baaaaccckkk... You know the deal, 15 reviews for an update! 


	18. Happy Reunions

A/N: Alrighty, time for another update, woohoo!

Riker15- Glad you love it. Jason as a father is my weakness, lol. It's just too damn sexy.

Pureevil230- Yes, it definitely is a yay. And let's face it, sometimes, fighting is inevitable.

luvthemorgans- For some reason, you only update when I'm hyper or just did something really stupid. I usually don't have fantastic stories. You on the other hand... well, you're constantly doing something stupid, so I always get great stories. Lol, j/k.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I'm glad you worked out all of your computer issues and you're now caught up. I missed you!

Jennifer- Are you aware that you left me 5 or 6 reviews? That totally threw me. I came home on saturday and my mailbox has 32 unread messages. That's a hell of a lot of mail! And then I got confused, but I figured it out. So thanks for loving it that much to review so much! Lol. And as for Meg's age, I can't get into a whole explanation now but if you look back in the chapters (I think it was the last one) I went on for a bit about how old she was to someone (can't remember who). That should explain it.

emmalee05- Hey, I won't hurt you! I am the one who wrote it, so I am willing to accept that certain truth.

LoLogirl28- I love Carly plans. They are only the greatest plans ever!

Samantha- AJ is still an ass, but he's an ass for a reason. I've been watching a lot of older GH clips and I've developed a soft spot for him. He used to be such a great character, but the writers kinda destroyed him.

brittneyx- Welcome to the story! (or reviewing at least). I'm so glad you like it.

middiegurl08- Yay! A Jess favorite. Oh, and I need to tell you something. I know I gave you a 'haha' in _Tangled Secrets_ by almost making Ava's middle name Jessica. So, to make it up to you, I named a character with a small role in the sequel to this story Jessica. Just for you! I'll point it out again when we get there, but I just wanted to let you know.

caseybutler70- You and Jennifer should talk. She knew what was coming last chapter, and you're kinda able to forsee this chapter. Hope I didn't give too much away!

ImJustKidding89- That was an excellent point. I may be a fan of the happy ending (usually, but not necessarily), but I'm an even bigger fan of heartwrenching angst.

britchic- If it makes you feel any better, my school "football" (soccer) team had a 0-15 season. I don't actually care about soccer, but it's a running joke around school that our sports teams (with the exception of girl's tennis) can't win anything. And for future reference, I'd just like to let you know that me and Arron Davies are totally getting married. That is one beautiful, beautiful man. And Milesy is kinda cute. He reminds me a lot of Heath Ledger, and that guy, with the right hair, can be pretty nice to look at. And if me and Arron don't work out, I'm totally marrying Maurice O'Donnell. Lol, j/k. But he's a cute little grandpa.

DaniBabez- No, it's not a dream, don't worry. I'm glad you like it!

anon14- She is certainly a smart little baby indeed. And I'm glad you love her.

Serena- I'm glad you like it. And you're right, Meg truly belongs with Courtney and Jason.

SuzieQ8487- She did abandon the baby once before. She's just a crappy mother. Some people are not meant to be parents.

vanessapc05- Yes, I love the happy family thing too. 

**

* * *

Chapter 18- Happy Reunions**

"Walk me through this one more time" said Jason as he rubbed his temple with his hands.

"Jason, what's to walk through? Meg was being neglected there. So she's with us now. Why are you acting like this?" asked Courtney from her seat on the couch. "Aren't you happy that Meg's home?"

"I am happy! But Carly, Sonny, what the two of you did was technically kidnapping!" he said in a frustrated tone.

"I'm sorry, but since when are you concerned about technicalities?" asked Carly as she sat down on the couch next to Courtney.

"I'm not! But Courtney and I were just talking about how we're trying to keep the people we love out of jail, not the best ways for them to get thrown in it!"

"Jason, you didn't see that place. It was horrible. There was no way we could leave her there" said Sonny.

"Come here, hold your daughter" said Courtney as she passed Meg to Jason.

"Da!" she cooed happily as Jason held her.

All of his reservations were forgotten as he held her tightly to him and heard her coo.

"Hi baby. I missed you" he said. "Uh-oh. Seems like you have a wet diaper" he said with a frown. "I'm going to go change her" he said as he went upstairs to Meg's still set-up room.

"So what do we do about legal rights?" asked Courtney.

"I think we should find Paula and get her to sign over parental rights to you and Jason" said Sonny.

"How?" asked Carly. "She probably loses AJ's money if she does"

"We threaten her. We tell her we're going to go to the authorities and tell them about what she did if she doesn't do what we say. She could go to prison for a long time for child endangerment like that" he explained. "I've already got men at the house taking pictures"

"I just can't believe we got her back" Courtney gushed, and Sonny smiled to see his sister at the happiest she had been in a while.

"All changed" said Jason as he came down the stairs with a happy Meg in his arms, holding tightly on to him. "But she had some diaper rash. I put some of that stuff on her" he said with a frown.

"Some of that stuff. The descriptive styling of Jason Morgan" joked Carly.

"Don't you wonder why she had diaper rash Jason?" asked Sonny. "I'm sure it has something to do with her sitting in a dirty diaper for god knows how long when she was left alone with no one to take care of her"

"Alright, I get it" he said. "Believe me, I understand now. After seeing how happy she was just to get her diaper changed, and seeing the rash, I won't let my daughter go back there. I'm going to protect her, no matter what" said Jason as he held Meg tightly as though he would never let her go.

"Good, I am glad you are finally seeing things the right way" said Carly.

Courtney just smiled at him as she got up from the couch. Walking over to him, she took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. Carly and Sonny just looked on with smiles on their faces. They looked so happy. All three of them. The perfect little family.

"Say it" said Carly as she looked at Sonny.

"Say what?" he asked her.

"Say that my plan worked, and I was right, and you were wrong"

"But we ended up not going with your plan, remember? We just kinda took the baby and ran"

"Sonny! My plan was what got us there! Why are you fighting this?" asked Carly.

"Fine, if he won't say it, I'll do better" said Courtney as she broke away from Jason's kiss. "TGIC"

"What the hell does that mean? How is that thanking me?" asked a confused Carly.

"It's short for Thank God for Carly" said Courtney with a smile.

"Ooo, I like that. I can totally see it catching on" said Carly with a huge, power-hungry smile.

"And thank you for that one" said Sonny to Courtney as he watched his wife repeat the phrase to herself, her look of glee getting even more gleeful.

* * *

They had decided to keep Meg's return under wraps for now. The last thing they needed was the PCPD banging down their door. However, they still decided to throw Meg a welcome home party. Sonny provided the food, Carly provided the entertainment by trying to help with the food, and Courtney and Jason provided the guest of honor. Michael and Morgan were so glad to have their baby cousin home. The three kids were perfectly content playing on the floor of the Morgan living room together as Sonny chased Carly out of the kitchen and Courtney and Jason looked on laughing. They snuggled together on the couch and watched Meg play. It was amazing, getting her back. Getting back to their happiest times. 

"Jase" she said softly.

"Hmm?" he said as he continued to stroke her hair.

"I can't help but keep thinking about our fight" she confessed.

"Courtney" he said softly.

"I can't help but keep thinking about the terrible things we said to each other" she said as she sat up a little so that she was looking into his eyes.

"I love you, so much" he said as he cradled her face in his hands. "And none of that matters. We were upset, our daughter was gone. But she's back, and it's all going to be alright" he told her.

"You're right" she said with a smile as she laid back down, burying her face in his chest, clinging to his shirt and getting comfortable. "It's all going to be ok" she said into his chest. "I love you, and I love our daughter, and you both love me. Can it get any more perfect than this?" she asked and he smiled, holding her as tightly to his body as he possibly could.

"I managed to salvage much of what Carly tried to ruin" Sonny told them as they sat down to dinner.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not even here!" she protested.

"I'm not dear, don't worry" said Sonny as Courtney and Jason smiled and rolled their eyes at them. "Now, for the adults, we have filet mignon, chicken Florentine, and pasta in my famous white sauce"

"Wow, you really went all out" laughed Courtney as she looked at all the food on the table.

"Yes, anything for my niece" he said with a smile towards Meg. "Now for the kids, we have my gourmet chicken nuggets and some pasta con formaggio"

"For those of you who don't speak Sonny, that's Macaroni and Cheese" clarified Carly.

"Thank you darling" said Sonny sarcastically.

"Anything for you baby" she said back to him in the same tone, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Court, I think we need to get some new friends" said Jason as he leaned back contently in his chair.

"Hey, you can't get rid of us that easily. We're family. It's not like you picked us, you're stuck with us. Wait, I don't know how that sounds any better" said Carly as she realized what she said.

"Yeah, I agree with you babe" said Courtney to Jason as Carly tried to figure out what words had just come out of her mouth and Sonny served the kids their "gourmet chicken nuggets and pasta con formaggio".

Everyone was perfectly content and happy as they ate Sonny's delicious cooking and carried on with their light conversation.

"She looks so happy to be home" said Carly as she pointed at Meg.

Everyone turned to look at the little blonde angel. She had one of Sonny's chicken nuggets in her hand and she was gumming at it, being as she still lacked teeth, short of the beginning of her first one.

"She does look happy" agreed Courtney as she watched her daughter.

"And you two look happy" pointed out Sonny.

"How could we not be?" asked Jason. "We have our daughter back"

"Can we take Meg to the park tomorrow Mom?" asked Michael.

"I don't know Mr. Man" said Carly. "Meg needs to stay inside for a few more days" she explained.

"Oh, ok" said Michael, a disappointed look on his face.

"But you can come over here and play with her all you want. You and Morgan" said Courtney as she tried to brighten up her nephew.

"Alright!" he agreed, instantly forgetting about the park.

"Roni!" yelled Morgan loudly.

"Sonny, your son needs more macaroni" said Carly pointedly.

"He's only my son when he needs something and Carly's eating" grumbled Sonny as he got up to help his son.

"It's true sweetheart" she said with a smile as she continued eating.

* * *

"I feel bad. Sonny cooked and did the dishes" said Courtney as they got ready for bed that night. 

"I think he wants to make all the missed days up to us and give us some time with Meg" explained Jason.

"It's not his fault" said Courtney. "Whatever" she said as she brushed it off. "I'm just glad Meg is home safe and sound"

Jason climbed into bed and opened his arms for Courtney to join him. Climbing in next to her husband, Courtney felt at peace with the world. She snuggled into Jason's arms and checked the baby monitor once before closing her eyes and falling off into a deep sleep.

* * *

It was around 2:30ish when they were awoken by the sounds of Meg's cries. Both eagerly jumped out of bed and rushed down the hallway to her room. 

"Ma! Da!" she cried out, the tears streaming down her face.

When she heard them enter, she pulled herself up and reached out for them, still hysterically crying. Jason took her in his arms and held her close, rubbing her back as he did.

"Shh, it's ok Meg. We're here" he said as he held her close while Courtney held her hand.

"Ma, Da" she cried again, holding even closer to them.

Jason checked her diaper and found that it was clean. She didn't want a bottle, nor did she feel like she had a fever.

"What do you think's wrong?" asked Jason.

"Maybe she's having nightmares" said Courtney quietly. "Afterall, she was left alone in a crib for god knows how long"

"I think you're right" he agreed. "Come on Meg, I think you need to sleep in the big bed tonight" he said as he led her and Courtney into their bedroom.

The three settled into bed, with Meg snuggly inbetween them. They fell asleep with their arms crossed over her, both planting little reassuring kisses on her as they drifted off to sleep. Meg woke up once more in the night, but when she saw that Courtney and Jason were right there, she quickly fell back into a peaceful sleep. That wasn't t say Courtney or Jason did though. They were both up most of the night, watching their daughter, upset by her tears and nightmares. They were worried about her, and they were sure that they were never, ever, going to give her up again. By whatever means necessary.

* * *

"You two look tired" said Carly as she looked at her best friends. 

"Yeah, I would have thought you would have gotten a good night's sleep last night" said Sonny.

"Us too. But Meg was having nightmares all night" explained Courtney.

"Oh, I'm sorry" said Carly as she hugged Courtney.

"What Paula did was disgusting" said Jason. "Using her daughter to get AJ's money, and then neglecting her like that"

Courtney put one hand on his arm to calm him down a little, and it worked.

"Why don't you leave Meg with Leticia and get some sleep" suggested Carly.

"Yeah, she'll be fine" assured Sonny. "Michael and Morgan will keep her entertained"

"I guess" said Jason as he looked at Courtney.

"It's not a bad idea" she said.

"Great, I'll bring her across the hall" said Carly as she lifted her up and carried her off, but not before Courtney and Jason both kissed her goodbye and assured her it was fine.

* * *

Courtney and Jason were just saying goodbye to Carly and Sonny who were leaving them so they could get some sleep when a pounding was heard on the door. 

"Open up! Police" came Taggert's voice.

"What the hell?" asked Carly as Sonny wearily opened the door.

"What do you want Taggert?" asked Sonny angrily.

"Sonny and Carly Corinthos, Jason and Courtney Morgan, you are all under arrest for the kidnapping of Meg Richards…" said Taggert as he read them all their rights and some officers put them all in cuffs.

"Leave Carly and Courtney out of this Taggert!" protested Jason as the officers went to cuff the two of them.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" said Taggert with an evil smirk towards Jason and then towards Sonny as he ignored them, happy to finally be getting what he had been wishing for.

* * *

A/N: Did you all really think I'd let them be happy? Come on, this is me we're talking about. Kk, so "TGIC" belongs to jordananne. I don't know if she reads/reviews anymore, but she put it in a review in one of the first chapters and I asked her if I could use it. She said yes, and here it is! Anytay, you've all been so great with the 15 reviews, that I've decided to spice things up. I'm asking for 18 again! I know you can all do it! 


	19. Oops!

A/N: I knew you guys could do it! I got awesome reviews. I would also like to take this time to tell you all that I make mistakes. And sometimes, these mistakes make me look like an idiot. For instance, many of you pointed out to me that "TGIC" does not in fact stand for Thank God For Carly. "TGFC" does, and I just lack a basic grasp of the alphabet. That, or I was typing without thinking and hitting whichever buttons looked prettiest at the time. And for those who didn't point it out, I know you were thinking it. So, oops, my bad!

emmalee05- I have a baby obsession. I think they are just the cutest things, cuter than puppies, so I love to write about them! I worked at a camp last summer, and I had kindergartners, and I just spoiled them rotten! I love kids.

middiegurl08- I don't think the four of them have ever been arrested together. And as for your character, she's not that tiny, I promise. She'll be my go-to-girl whenever I need a random character to make a comment on something.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- Wow, I feel special. I also write for Jason and Robin on the JR boards. Please don't hate me for that! Anyway, the reason probably is that my first story (other then my JasonOC story) was Journey, and Sam wasn't very nice in it.

Riker15- All four of them got arrested because (a) the PCPD is trying to bring them down and they'll use any excuse and (b) Meg was living with him and Courtney.

LoLogirl28- Paula needs to be slapped. I completely agree with everything you say. But it is so much fun to write evil characters.

jennifer- Glad you liked it! Sorry about those problems you had with the site at first!

kaleymc- I'm glad you still like it, and I'm so glad you were able to catch up.

sexyt- Happy Birthday! I'm glad you were able to catch up, and I'm glad you loved it!

anon14- Ugg, essays. And college essays especially! I your essay wasn't too blah to write. I personally would prefer to write fanfiction than an essay! But I'm sure everyone would.

Samantha- For me, fluff is fun to write for the first two minutes, and then I'm miserable. What can I say, I love the angst! Glad you like angst too!

tania- Thanks! I'm glad you like it so much.

Pureevil230- I'm sure you read my above note about my inability to spell. I was just so excited to use that phrase, that I didn't even think, or even catch it in one of my 95 proofreads.

SuzieQ8487- It's Tams all the way. Always. Although, I do like Laura so far. She definitely has the look, especially compared to Jennifer (I did not like her at all). And is it just me, or did she look a little bit like Alicia at certain angles?

britchic- I dunno, your friend could probably take me. I'm little. I'm 4'11 and 95 pounds. When I sit on people in an attempt to crush them, my only weapon is my bony tush. I do have sharp nails though...hmm. I could take her...for Arron at least. (I love him!)

ImJustKidding89- You know me too well! Of course I wouldn't let the fluff last!

DaniBabez- Yes, read the above note. .:stands up:. "My name is Leanna and I have typing issues". See, I'm willing to admit that I have a problem, lol.

vanessapc05- You'll just have to keep reading and reviewing to find out! I'm glad you liked it.

luvthemorgans- Oh Bre, of course you are always doing something stupid. But that's ok, I still love you! As for the wedgie story, it reminds me of that story I told you about my friend and the errection (or lack thereof). Some guys just have a very high tolerance! Either that, or they're robots! Sorry, going off with my conspiracy theories again.

Nell- Sonny could be an excellent big brother if he'd just get over himself. So, I'm writing him how I want to see him. I'm glad you like this side of him.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 19- Oops**

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" sneered Scott Baldwin when Taggert and the other officers led the Morgans and Corintos' in. "That's right, kidnapping charges. I assume officers are confiscating the baby now, right Officer Taggert?" asked Scott.

"You can't 'confiscate' her! She's a human being, not stolen goods!" yelled Courtney.

"Shh, calm down baby" Jason said softly as he tried to soothe Courtney.

"That's right, listen to your husband. He's an expert at being arrested" Scott taunted. "And to answer you're question Mrs. Morgan, yes, that kid is stolen goods"

"She didn't ask a question Taggert. She told you to back off our daughter" said Jason coldly.

"That's nice" said Scott with a sarcastic smile. "I'd say lock 'em up and throw away the key, but I'm sure there will be a group of lawyers coming down here, ready to get you all released. Of course, it won't be too easy considering the mounting evidence. Put them in the cage" he told Taggert, nodding to the cell in the middle of the precinct.

"Yes sir" said Taggert a little too happily as he led the four of them over.

"Uncuff Carly and Courtney. They're not flight risks" demanded Sonny.

"I dunno…" said Taggert as he pretended to consider it.

"Come on Taggert, don't be a jerk. They're not going to be able to get out of here" said Jason.

"Fine" said Taggert, knowing that they were right and they didn't need police brutality to ruin their case. "But you and Corinthos remain in cuffs"

"Fine" said Jason, not caring, as long as Courtney was given that little comfort.

Taggert uncuffed her and Carly before leading them into the cell and locking the door behind him. Once the girls were released, they ran right to their respective men and pulled them into tight embraces.

"Are you girls ok?" asked Sonny.

"No, not really" said Courtney. "Who knows how Meg is being treated right now! Who knows what's going to happen to her. She can't go back with Paula"

"We won't let her. I promise you I won't let her" Jason told Courtney as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Yo Taggert, what happened to our phone calls?" asked Carly as she leaned into the bars.

"I believe its phone_ call_ Mrs. Corinthos" he sneered back at her.

"There are four of us, so I believe it is phone_ calls_" she sneered right back.

"Fine, one at a time" he said as he walked back over to the cage and unlocked it.

"I'll call Justus" said Sonny as he walked out of the cage and over to Taggert.

"You think Michael and Morgan are ok?" asked Courtney.

"They're fine. Leticia's with them. Courtney, stop worrying" said Carly.

"Stop worrying?" she screeched. "We are all arrested and locked in a cell, while Meg is going to be given back to a woman who abuses her and neglects her! We can all very well be put on trial for kidnapping, and even convicted. We won't see each other ever again, nor will we see our children!"

"Court, calm down, it's not going to come to that" Jason assured her. "Come here" he said as he motioned to her with his head. She snuggled up next to him on the hard bench that was on one side of the cell. "We are not going to prison for this. Justus won't let us. And as for Meg, Sonny has those pictures. She's not going back to Paula. And everyone knows that we are the best options for her"

"And what about being arrested for kidnapping? Don't you think that's going to varnish our reputation for being good parents just a little bit?" she asked sarcastically. "And what if the charges don't get dropped? Are we just supposed to rot in prison, or go to trial, or what!" she cried.

"You and Carly aren't staying here; don't worry" Jason told her.

"What the hell does that mean?" she asked.

"Sonny and I aren't about to let you stay in this hellhole"

"So basically, you're going to take whatever deals are thrown at the two of you" said Carly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think so" she said as she sat down next to them. "We are not letting you two go to prison for us. We are all going to get off. We didn't do anything wrong! We saved your little girl from a life of abuse. She would have died if she stayed in that house. I don't even want to think about the horrible things that were happening to her, and could have kept happening if Sonny and I didn't show up when we did."

"I called Justus, he's on his way" said Sonny as he was led back into the cell.

Carly immediately put her arms around him, holding him close.

"I can't believe this is what you guys always go through" said Courtney. "Sitting in this cell, waiting for your lawyer, wondering if the people you love are ok"

Jason rested his head on her shoulder, trying to comfort her as best he could.

"The company's considerably better this time" joked Sonny.

"Sonny, now is not the time for jokes" said Courtney tensely.

"Try to think positively baby. Justus will be here soon, and we'll all get to go home. Meg included" Jason told her as he kissed her cheek.

"I hope you're right" she said with a sigh.

At that exact moment, Justus burst into the PCPD.

"I demand to know what evidence you have against my clients" said Justus as he slammed his fist down on to Scott's desk.

"Well hello to you too Justus" said Scott as he looked up. "Come, we'll talk. We'll go get some coffee"

"Haha, very funny. But as the DA, you shouldn't be making jokes; you should be dealing with evidence. So tell me, do you have any?" he asked.

"Any evidence? Does the child in question being held in the Morgans and Corinthos' homes count?" asked Scott as he folded his arms over his chest.

"I have proof that this child was being neglected and abused in the home that she was living in prior to being in their care. My clients had all intentions of handing her over to the authorities!" interjected Justus.

"When, when the girl turned thirty? Look Mr. Ward, your clients are about to be booked and processed, and then we can finish this conversation" said Scott as he started to walk away.

"No, we're going to talk now!" cried Justus. "I demand to at least have a word with my clients before they are processed"

"Fine" said Baldwin as he motioned towards Taggert. "Put 'em in interrogation one"

"All of them?" he asked.

"Will you be representing all four members of the local mob?" asked Scotty.

"I will be representing both Morgans and Corinthos''" said Justus tensely.

"All of 'em Taggert!" Scott called over to him.

* * *

The four were led into the interrogation room. Jason and Sonny were handcuffed to the table and Courtney and Carly were allowed to just sit down without the handcuffs. 

"What happened?" asked Justus. "Sonny gave me a brief summary over the phone, but I need some details here"

"We went to see Paula, to see if we could get her to reconsider" said Sonny.

"By threatening her?" asked Justus.

"No, by seeing if we could offer her more money than AJ was to get her back"

"So, by bribery than" he said.

"Call it what you want" said Carly with a wave of her hand.

"Anyway, we found the house, and no one was home. So we looked around. And the place was a mess. There had obviously been out of control parties, and alcohol and drug use. And we went upstairs, and we found an abandoned Meg in her crib" said Sonny.

"It was terrible. She had a dirty diaper, and she had nothing to eat or drink, and it was obvious that she hadn't been held in a while" said Carly.

Courtney closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek as she thought about her baby. Jason swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to stop from crying himself as he took Courtney's hand in his uncuffed one in a comforting gesture.

"So you took the baby" said Justus.

"We weren't about to leave her there!" snapped Carly. "We changed her diaper, and got her something to eat. And we brought her back to her true parents, Courtney and Jason. They are the only parents who ever truly loved that little girl. They are the only ones who can take care of her"

"Carly, I'm not questioning Courtney and Jason's fitness as parents. I am questioning the fact that you kidnapped this child!" said Justus.

"They didn't kidnap her!" yelled Courtney. "They saved her! She was alone, and abandoned. She would have died if they had left her! Carly and Sonny saved her, and then they brought her back to Jason and me so that she would be safe, and loved, and looked after!"

"Courtney, I am so sorry that you all have to go through this. But Scott will do anything to get you all locked up. Especially Jason and Sonny. And he is going to press for kidnapping charges, and unfortunately, he has enough evidence to get the charges to stick"

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means this is going to go to trial" said Justus softly.

"What can we do to get the girls released tonight?" asked Jason.

"Jason, no!" exclaimed Courtney.

"She's right, we're not leaving you two!" said Carly.

"Come on Carly; Michael and Morgan need their mother" said Sonny.

"And their father! Sonny, I'm not leaving you" said Carly.

"Me neither" said Courtney. "We won't let you take some sort of plea that will get you locked away from us just to prevent us from spending the night in prison. It's not worth it"

"They may be right" said Justus to Courtney and Carly. "It may be best for them to take a plea that will get you girls off. Carly, you stand to lose custody of your sons"

"Fine, than get Carly off. But don't let Sonny and Jason get locked away forever. And I'm staying" said Courtney defiantly.

"Courtney, please…" pleaded Jason. "You need to do this. For us" he told her.

"Actually, that wont be necessary" said Mac as he walked in. "I've reviewed the evidence, and we have nothing to keep any of you on. You were simply rescuing an abandoned baby. Officer Taggert, please uncuff them. I'll get their release papers" he told a grumbling Taggert.

* * *

"Mac, is Meg still at home with Leticia?" asked Courtney after they were all signed out. 

"No, Meg was returned to her mother" said Mac.

"What!" Jason, Courtney, and Sonny yelled while Carly yelled "Are you on crack?"

"How could she put back with Paula! The woman left her alone, abused her, and neglected her!" cried Jason.

"She was out of town on business, and left Meg with a nanny. The nanny was the one who left her alone. She was returned to her mother, and the nanny was arrested and is being charged with endangering the welfare of a child amongst other things" explained Mac as he walked away.

"That's what AJ's money will buy you, a false confession" mumbled Sonny.

"We need to do something" said Courtney.

"We will, Meg isn't staying with that terrible woman" said Jason as he grabbed Courtney's hand and led her from the PCPD with Carly and Sonny on their heels.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! I'm going for 18 reviews again! The next chapter is the last full chapter. After that, there's just the conclusion/epilogue thingie, and then we get to start on _Staying Together While Falling Apart_. It's coming along nicely so far. It's completly different than anything I've ever written before, and I know it might make some of you angry at times. But more on that later! Remember to review! 


	20. Snapping into Action

A/N: Alright, so I was in such a rush to update this 'cause I just wanted to get it up already. So, I wrote everyone really quick little one line thanks. But I meant to hit "back" on my mail box and I accidently hit it on this page instead and I lost it all. So, I'm just gonna make a list of people who reviewd and give you all one big thanks. My thank yous were quick before anyway. So, as I'm sure you all know, this is the last full chapter. We just have the conclusion next. I promise to give long thanks' over there. And then, we start on the sequel! So leave me lots of reviews!

And sorry about the long wait for this one. Life's been really hectic.

So, thanks to:

middiegurl08; SuzieQ8487; Pureevil230; Jackie-Ken; emmalee05; kaleymc; journeyrox; Tania; Dianne; Jennifer; luvthemorgans; sexyt; anon14; DaniBabez; LoLogirl28; Starlet; Riker15; ILOVEMOBSTERS; Tamara Rose; vanessapc05; ImJustKidding89; and britchic

**

* * *

Chapter 20- Snapping into Action**

"What are we going to do? How do you plan on beating Paula?" asked Courtney as they returned home.

"Blackmail, threats, bribery, whatever. I don't care anymore Courtney! I am not leaving Meg there any longer! I just need to do a little digging into her past" said Jason as he grabbed his laptop and started it up.

"Well, what can I do?" she asked.

"Just try to stay calm for me. Because I don't think I'm going to be able to control my emotions and one of us needs to" he told her.

"We both need to stay calm" said Courtney in a voice that showed she was anything but.

"There has to be something on her! She's the most out of control woman I have ever met. We will find something" said Jason as he started typing away at the laptop.

"I can't stay here!" said Courtney as she grabbed her coat. "I need to get some air" she said, running out the door.  
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked her in a concerned voice.

"No, it's fine" she said as she walked back over to him. "You keep looking" she said in a soft, in-control voice before planting a sweet kiss on his lips.

"I love you" he said to her softly.

"I love you too" she told him before kissing him once more and walking out.

* * *

"Hi Courtney" said Mike as he walked out of the diner. 

Courtney was sitting at one of the tables, just thinking.

"I thought you might like some coffee" he said as he placed a cup in front of her.

"Thanks Daddy" she said quietly.

"I heard about Meg. And you getting arrested"

Courtney put one hand up to stop him from talking more.

"Daddy, don't you dare start judging Jason! This is not his fault, and the last thing I need is you jumping on his back"

"Don't worry Princess, I'm not going to" said Mike. "I know that this isn't Jason's fault. I've seen him as a father, and he's a good one. I know how much he loved Meg, and still does. You know, Jason was my friend at one time. Before he married my daughter. Now, I have to be the over-protective father-in-law. I gotta look out for my little girl"

"Daddy, I'm not a little girl. And while I appreciate you looking out for me, please try to lay off Jason a little bit. Please don't hate him"

"Hate him? Oh Courtney, I don't hate him. I just hate what he does. I hate how much its cost you over the years, and how it's hurt you. I just wanna look out for you" he said as he took her hand in his.

"I know, and I love you for it" she said as she bent over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too. It's the best kind of love, feeling love for a child. For your child I mean. Being a parent. As much as you screw up, they still love you. They can still turn out to be this perfect woman that you can't believe is your daughter" said Mike, his eyes glistening as he looked at his only daughter. His baby.

"I just hope with all that Jason and I have screwed up with Meg, we get a chance to see her become a perfect woman" said Courtney.

"You will" Mike assured her. "Because if I know you and Jason, and I'd like to think I do, you are going to fight for this little girl. And nothing anyone says or does is going to stop you"

* * *

Courtney walked back into the penthouse later on to see Jason in the same position that he was in when she left. 

"Hey" he said when he saw her.

"Hi" she said shyly as she walked in. "Have you been sitting there the whole time?" she asked.

"Pretty much, yeah" he said as he attempted to sit up and get up.

"Stiff back?" she asked with a smile.

"You have no idea" he told her.

"Here, lemme help" she said as she sat down next to him and began to massage his back.

"I should get a stiff back more often" he told her. "That feels good"

"Yeah?" she asked with a smile. "I remember when you gave me a massage"

"Yeah, I almost killed you" he said, and she laughed.

"You got the hang of it. Eventually" she said as she continued to massage him.

"So, where'd you go?" he asked her.

"Just to Kelly's. I spoke with my dad a bit"

"Hmm?" he said, closing his eyes as her fingers trailed up the back of his shirt to better massage him.

"We talked a little about you" she said.

"Me?" he asked, his eyes opening.

"Yup. We talked about how my father really does like you; he just can't show it because he has to be the overprotective father"

"So, Mike really likes me. I always knew he did. I just thought he stopped once we got married. Well, we at least know he likes to make me squirm"

"How so?" she asked him.

"I vaguely remember him making me ask him for permission to marry you"

"Oh right" she said as she started to laugh. "That was so funny. Well, not at the time. But in retrospect"

"Oh, it was funny was it?" he asked her as he turned around.

Before she had time to react he grabbed her and started tickling her.

"Jase! Stop!" she cried as she continued to laugh, but much harder than before.

"Nope, can't do it!" he told her. "It'll be funny in retrospect" he mocked.

She finally managed to get her hands free, and she quickly found his ticklish spot on his side. As the two started a full out tickle war, all their problems were forgotten. But their happiness was shattered by the ringing of the phone.

"Hello?" said Jason as he broke away from Courtney to answer it. "Nothing? Well keep me posted. I want you and everyone else to keep digging until you find something" he said in what Courtney had so affectionately called his 'business voice'.

He hung up the phone and turned away from her, squeezing the phone tightly.

"Jase, here" she said as she handed him a water glass that was sitting on the table. "Try to calm down" she told him. "Take a sip"

Jason did as she said, taking a sip of the water and trying to keep his emotions in check. He didn't even realize how hard he was squeezing the glass until it suddenly shattered in his hand, sending glass fragments flying everywhere.

"Jason!" Courtney cried as she ran over to him, taking his now bleeding hand in her own.

He stood there stoically, not saying anything as she inspected him.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, worry apparent in her eyes and tone.

"I'm fine" he said coldly as he jerked his hand away from her.

"Jason, I get that you are upset about Meg, but please don't take it out on me" she said tearfully.

He sighed and turned around slowly so that he was looking at her.

"You're right. I'm sorry" he apologized, looking down at his feet.

"It's ok, I know where you're coming from" she said as she walked over to him and raised his head so that he was looking into her eyes. "Now, can I take care of that hand?" she asked him as she gently kissed him.

"Yeah, you can" he told her softly as he bent down and kissed her again.

As Courtney went to retrieve the necessary first aid items, Jason looked at the blood coming out of his hand and sighed again. It was true what people said about him. He had a temper and he was violent. But he would never in a million years hurt Courtney or Meg, and he hated it when people accused him of such a thing. He thought back to the custody battle, and how Taggert and Scott had both said there was nothing to stop him from taking out his anger on Meg. They were wrong though. There was something to stop him. There was love. He loved that little girl more than anything.

"Whatcha thinking about?" asked Courtney as she came down the stairs.

"The custody trial" he said as he sat down on the couch so Courtney could take care of his hand.

"What about it?" she asked.

"I just remember Taggert and Scott and everyone else saying that I would hurt Meg. Or that I would hurt you. You don't think I would ever hurt you or her, right?" he asked.

"Are you crazy? Of course not. I feel the safest when I'm in your arms. You stop people from hurting me, you don't do the hurting" she said as she bent over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, and you are a good man. You're an amazing husband, and an even more amazing father. Even my dad said so"

"Look's like I'm winning points from Mike today" he said with a smile.

"And lots of 'em" she said. "Sorry" she said when she saw him wince as she picked some glass out of his skin. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital. You may need stitches"

"Nah, not deep enough" he said as he looked at his hand. "You worry too much" he told her with a grin as he saw her concerned face.

"Yeah, so" she said with a mock pout.

"It's cute" he said as he kissed her again.

Courtney cleaned out his hand and bandaged it, kissing it all better as she finished. She cleaned up and then bent down to clean up the broken glass fragments on the floor.

"I'll do that" he told her.

"It's ok, I don't mind" she told him. "You just relax"

"I was relaxing pretty well when you were giving me that massage before" he said with a smile.

Courtney stopped what she was doing and walked back over to him, sitting down on the couch and massaging his back again, kissing his neck every now and then.

"You're meant to be a mother you know" he told her.

"It doesn't feel like it sometimes" she said with a sigh.

"I know. But you are. Meg loved you. You were great with her. And you always knew how to take care of her. And me" he added.

"It's easy to take care of the ones you love" she said.

"Not always"

"That better not be you you're talking about. 'Cause you take care of me better than anyone ever has. I love you more than anything Jason, and I love Meg. And I miss our family"

"We're going to get everything back together. We will. I promise" he told her.

"What if we can't convince Paula to let go. What do we do then?" she asked.

"Is Meg important to you?" he asked although he already knew the answer.

"I hope that was a rhetorical question" she said as she pulled back to look at him.

"We may have to go for the…unsavory option"

"You mean take her and run" she said.

"Basically. Would you be willing to do that?" he asked her.

"You and Meg are the most important things in my life. As long as I have you two, I don't care where I am. I'll be happy" she told him.

"Would you be willing to leave your family behind?" he asked her.

"You are my family. You and Meg"

"Good" he said as he kissed her again.

The two were interrupted by the ringing of the phone again. Jason sighed but broke away from Courtney to answer it.

"You have any news for me?" he asked.

He was very quiet for the rest of the conversation, and Courtney couldn't read his face. She couldn't tell what was going on. Jason said 'mhm' a few times, before finally hanging up.

"What happened?" she asked eagerly.

"Paula Richmond is dead. Accidental drug overdose" said Jason calmly.

"What! What does that mean for Meg?" she asked.

"I'm not sure" said Jason as he got off the couch and began to pace. "Apparently, there's somebody else. Somebody else who can take care of her"

"Someone other than us?"

"Someone other than us" he confirmed.

"Who?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I have people looking into it" said Jason.

A loud knocking was heard from the door, and Courtney and Jason both turned to it. They took deep breaths, trying not to let their expectations get the best of them. Trying not to get their hopes up that they were getting their baby back. Jason walked over to the door. He made eye contact with Courtney before tugging open the door.

"Yes?" he asked, his face falling as he found a young man in front of him, yet no Meg.

"My name is Craig Henderson. Are you Jason Morgan?" he asked.

* * *

A/N: I love my cliffhangers. Leave me reviews! 


	21. Epilogue

And so we have reached the end. So sad. But of course, the sequel is all ready to go. I wrote about 5 chapters so far, so expect timely updates. However, I've managed to spread myself too thin. I've got a lot of stuff going on and too many stories. But when ideas come to me, I must write them! You can all expect to see me in Fan fiction rehab soon. I'm addicted. But anyway, look for the sequel coming up in one to two weeks. It's called _Staying Together While Falling Apart_. Also, look for thanks coming up at the bottom of this chapter.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Courtney, I am not going to say it again. Keep smiling!" snapped Carly.

"I'm trying, but my face is going to fall off!" she said as she continued to keep her cheerleader smile in tact.

"Courtney Morgan! This is your daughter's first birthday. You are just going to have to grin and bear it. Literally" said Carly as she kept snapping pictures of the very happy Morgan family- Courtney, Jason, and the birthday girl, Meg.

"Carly, put down the camera or I'm going to make you put it down" said Jason as he too continued to smile.

"You can't make me" scoffed Carly.

Jason got up from his pose and growled, walking towards Carly.

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a bunch" said Carly as she put the camera down and Courtney laughed. "Excuse me for trying to make memories"

"Thank you Carly, for all of the memories" said Courtney dramatically.

"You all abuse me so much" said Carly as she folded her arms over her chest.

"It's because we love you" said Sonny as he came up to her and kissed her on the cheek.

They were all in the middle of the park, enjoying the beautiful day. They had thrown Meg Morgan an outdoor first birthday party. Everyone she loved was there, and everyone who loved her too. Nikolas and a pregnant Emily were there, hand-in-hand, as in love as ever. Ric and Alexis were in attendance as well, and Alexis had just given birth to their daughter, Molly, only a few weeks before so the baby was at home with a nanny. But Kristina was there, and she was having a great time playing with her brothers and cousin. Liz, Lucky and Cameron were there, as were Monica, Lila, and Skye. Even Reginald and Alice had attended, although Tracey, Edward, and Allen had not, and AJ, though not invited, was still no where to be found. It was good riddance at this point. Brook Lynn, Dillon, Georgie, Maxie, and even Diego had showed up. Bobbie and Mike were playing with the kids, and a slew of other people were there as well. The whole town had basically shown up to celebrate Meg's first birthday.

Courtney slipped her hand into Jason's as she thought about the day they had gotten Meg back for good. The man at the door had been Meg's father. He had first heard that he even had a daughter that day, and he was in no position to take care of her. He had slept with Paula only once, and barely remembered the woman. He just wanted to make sure his daughter was cared for. Courtney and Jason had officially adopted her, becoming her legal parents. But they were already her parents in every way that mattered.

"Oh Meg!" cried Jason as he saw her go straight for a mud puddle, left over from a few days ago when it had rained.

He ran over to her and grabbed her before she could get her little pale pink dress dirty.

"Da!" she said with a laugh as she hugged him and gave him a kiss.

"She has you wrapped around her little finger" said Emily with a laugh.

"Just wait, you're kid's gonna have you wrapped around his or her finger too" he told her.

"I'm worried. What if I'm not a good mother?" she asked.

"Em, who are you kidding? You'll be a great mother" he told her as he hugged her with his free arm that wasn't holding Meg.

"And you're a great father. You've always been" said Emily sweetly as she kissed his cheek before going back to her waiting husband.

"Can I hold my granddaughter?" asked Monica as she walked over to Jason and Meg.

"Of course" said Jason as she handed her to his mother.

"I'm so glad I've gotten to be a part of Meg's life" said Monica as she held the little girl close to her.

"I want you to be" he assured her. "She really loves you Mom. And I do too" said Jason shyly.

Monica looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too Jason, I always have. Whether you were Jason Quartermaine or Jason Morgan" she said as she embraced him. "I think she should go see her great-grandmother" said Monica as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"It's ok to cry" he told her with a laugh.

"I'm not crying" she said as she wiped away her tears quickly.

"Courtney does that too. Girls are weird" said Jason as Monica laughed.

"Spoken like a true son" she said as she walked over to Lila.

"Oh! Lila's holding Meg. Lemme get my camera" said Carly as she grabbed for it and ran over to him.

"She is too much. How do you put up with her?" asked Courtney to Sonny.

"Lots and lots of caffeine" he answered her.

Courtney laughed and hugged her brother.

"You seem happy" he told her.

"Of course I'm happy Sonny. Do I even need to state the obvious?" she asked him.

"No, of course not. I just meant that I'm glad. I'm glad that you're happy"

"I'm glad that I'm happy too" she told him.

"Should we cut the cake?" asked Jason as he came over to them.

"Yeah, sounds good" said Courtney as Sonny went to go get it.

He returned a few minutes later and everyone sang happy birthday to Meg as Jason and Courtney held her and Carly snapped picture after picture.

"Ready Meg, time to blow out the candles" said Courtney.

Meg looked at them curiously, and Courtney and Jason burst out laughing along with the other guests. Courtney and Jason leaned over and blew out the candles for her and Courtney pulled the candles out of the cake. They were about to cut it up when Meg squirmed in Jason's arms and reached for the cake, sticking her hand in it and grabbing a piece, right from the center. Stuffing it in her mouth, she smiled and said "mmm". Everyone else laughed as Courtney said "oh Meg!" looking down at the ruined cake with a frown.

"Not to worry!" cried Luke as he ran over to them. "Spencer rule of birthday parties- always have an extra cake, because someone always puts their face in it!" he said as he brandished a cake.

"At least she didn't put her face in it" said Jason.

But he spoke too soon as Meg reached in for more cake, head first.

"Meg!" cried Jason as the little girl just giggled.

Everyone dug into the new cake as Courtney and Jason cleaned up Meg.

"Smile!" yelled Carly once they were done.

"Carly, enough with the pictures" moaned Jason.

"Just one more" she begged.

"Fine, one more" agreed Courtney as they posed and smiled.

Carly snapped the picture and then looked at the screen of the digital camera.

"Aww, what a great picture of the Morgans" said Carly.

"Yeah, it is" said Jason as he bent down and kissed his wife and daughter.

* * *

I know, super cheesy. But, it's fluff, what can you do? Everyone needs some cheese covered fluff sometimes. 

**First, to my three readers who reviewed every time:**

emmalee05- Thank you so much for your support on this story. Without a doubt, your reviews have always been the most meaningful and encouraging. I knew that I could expect a response from you every time. You've always been great, and I can't wait to see you on _STWFA_.

SuzieQ8487- You've always been a great reviewer too, right since my first days of writing Journey fics. Plus, you were the only one to guess Craig's identity! You've always said encouraging things, and I've always loved that you reviewed every chapter, even when you were behind. We all fall behind in reading sometimes, but people never review the back chapters. You were always amazing about doing that. Thanks so much!

Sexyt- Thank you for taking the time to review all of my chapters. It means the world to me. I always looked forward to reading your reviews. You've always taken the time to say nice things to me and it means so much to me. Thanks again for all of the time you spent reading and reviewing.

**And now, on to my other amazingly fantastic reviewers:**

Luvthemorgans- I know you're going to be pissed that you weren't an every chapter reviewer, but you missed chapter 7! If it makes you feel any better, according to my crazy point system that only you know the inner workings of, you got the most. Out of a possible 105, you got a 90. And the average was 17. That's more than pretty impressive. 'Cause a 105 is unattainable. The real highest possible was 84, and you cleared that! I can't wait to hear more of your stories on _STWFA_.

middiegurl08- Thanks so much for all of your kind words. Along with the few reviewers listed above, you were one of my most avid readers. You always had amazing things to say and I loved every word of your reviews! You've always been so consistent and I absolutely love that. Don't forget to read the sequel!

Britchic- Thanks for all of your support. I really mean it when I say I loved hearing about "football" from you, and you did introduce me to my future husband (once I beat down that friend of yours for loving him too). Who knows, maybe by the time I post my new story, you'll have a new interest, and I can pick a new husband. How 'bout Rugby? I don't really know what that is, but it's British (I think). Thanks again!

anon14- Thank you so much for all of your reviews. You've been great on both this story and way back when during _Trust_. I've always appreciated your support and kind words.

Kaleymc- Thanks for all your amazing review! I loved reading them. I'm so glad you liked the story. I hope to hear from you on _STWFA._

LoLogirl28- Even though you weren't with me from the beginning, you certainly made up for it with your fantastic reviews. I've always looked forward to hearing what you had to say and I hope that you read the sequel as well.

Seth Cohen's Girlfriend- It's been a while since I've heard from you, but I hope you are still reading. Knowing you, you've just been having computer problems! I always appreciated that you tried to review to the best of your computer's ability, and I'll never forget the time you wrote me that note on the bottom of your story. I really appreciated it!

DaniBabez- Thanks for your great reviews. I loved to hear from you. I'm thrilled that you loved the story and thanks for always having something nice to say.

I'mJustKidding89- Thanks for your reviews! I loved getting your opinion on the story. It's been great hearing from you!

Nell- Thanks for reviewing! I'm so glad you liked the story.

Pureevil230- Thanks for your constant words of encouragement! I loved hearing what you were thinking about my story!

Starlet- Thanks for all of your reviews. They've been greatly appreciated.

Serena- I'm glad you found your way on to this story. It's always been great to hear your opinion, especially since you're the only one who's truly been with me since the beginning and has been able to see me grow as a writer.

**Thanks also to the following readers/reviewers for their encouragement and kind words:**

Riker15, caseybutler70, lec, Samantha, ImJustKidding8, Jennifer, Jackie-Ken, vanessapc05, Tania, journeyrox, Dianne, ILOVEMOBSTERS, Tamara Rose, thejourneyisforever, JulesMorgan, mgterps, Jenny, Anna, and Susan.

**And thanks to these readers who were with me in the beginning. I hope I only lost you guys for reviewing, and not for reading:**

Watters, Elvira, Jordananne, Preppypunk1991, Isabelle, TyDavisLover, CrazyJay, Cait, Stephanie, Jen...courtneylovejason, SVUAngel, JMluver14, Butterflyzdreamz, cupcake89, Audri, Kathryn, journeyfan01, Alexa, Ana, Allhart, Hanna415, Martha, thastudinurlife, lauraMN, and ghgirl15.

**To anyone else who I may have forgotten, I am so sorry. I'm only human! Remember to leave me a review and let me know what you thought of my ending. I really appreciated everyone's reviews over the months. It's been great, and I'll miss this story. See you all on _Staying Together While Falling Apart!_**


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